Tails of the Fox Sage
by DarthValgaav
Summary: In the battle with Sasuke, Naruto is presumed dead. He awakes to find himself in a new land and will face new challenges with new powers. Watch as he makes a name for himself. I don't own Naruto so plz don't sue me!
1. Chapter 1

The battle was nearing its end. Sasuke in his cursed seal level two form stared at Naruto as he was covered with the red chakra. The two of them had been like brothers. They had fought together, trained together, and argued with each other. Naruto would not let Sasuke throw all of it away just for the sake of his revenge and he would not break his promise to Sakura. Sasuke would not let anyone stand in the way of his revenge. In the end, their desires clashed and only one could survive.

Kakashi was racing towards his two students. It wasn't until he had finished his mission and reported back that he learned of Sasuke's betrayal. His dogs had located where the two were fighting and he raced to stop them before they did something that they would regret. His mission was to bring back Sasuke and he would do just that.

Naruto and Sasuke began to power up their best attacks. They could have said something; however the time for words had come and gone. Now this was their only choice. They leapt into the air and launched their attacks.

"**Habataku Chidori!**"

"**Rasengan!**"

The two attacks clash for a second and then they hit their targets. Sasuke's attack pierces threw Naruto's chest. The rasengan hits Sasuke in the chest a moment later and he was sent flying into the wall. Naruto fell down into the water and began to be washed down the stream. With his last ounce of strength, he was able to grab a hold on a rock. A moment later Kakashi arrive.

He was now faced with a choice, who to save? If he saved Naruto he would most likely die, judging by the huge hole in his chest, on the way back to the village. If he saved Sasuke, Orochimaru would not have his next host body and the mission would be a success. He could try to save both of them, but their might be more Sound-nins coming and he couldn't move fast enough with the extra weight.

"K-Kakashi…sensei," muttered Naruto. He reached out his free hand for a moment before it fell down. He knew his sensei would help him. After all, he was the one who said that 'those who disobey the rule were trash and those who abandon their comrades are less than trash'. Sure, in the past he had always ignored him for Sasuke, but this was different.

Kakashi looked at his blond student for a second with a look of pity in his eyes. He then turned and picked up Sasuke. He turned back to Naruto.

"You did well Naruto," he said. "I'm sorry but it looks like you will die here."

At the sound of those words, Naruto let go of the rock he was holding and was washed down the river. Soon, he was face down in the water, drifting towards the ocean.

'**No!' **shouted the Kyuubi. **'I will not go out like this! Wake up kit! WAKE UP!' **Kyuubi got no response. Inside the Spirit Room, Naruto lay in front of the large kitsune face down as well.

"**Let me see. Lack of oxygen, loss of blood, damaged lung, and body temperature is getting dangerously low. I doubt I can save us both but I'll do my best!"**

Some time later Kakashi arrived at the Village Hidden in the Leaves with Sasuke. He quickly made his way to the hospital and made sure the doctors treated him right away. Once everything was taken care of, he exited the room and ran into Tsunade.

"Ah Kakashi," she said with a smile. She was happy that so far there had been no deaths and it looked like the mission had been a success. "I heard from the guards that you just returned. Good work. So, what happened?"

"When I arrived the battle was over," he replied. "My best guess would be that Naruto fought with Sasuke and knocked him out with the Rasengan."

"That's very impressive," she said. "I'll have to congratulate him later. Right now I have to…" She stopped when she saw Kakashi hold up his hand.

"I'm not done," he said. "Sasuke also used his own trump card on Naruto. When I got there, Naruto looked like he was on Deaths door. He had a huge whole in his chest and was bleeding very badly."

Tsunade's eyes went wide. She then began to shake her head. This couldn't be happening. He had to be alright! He had to be!

"I was faced with a choice," continued Kakashi. "I chose to save the one who had the most likely chance to survive. Naruto is dead. I watched him as his body floated down the river in the Valley of Ends." At that, Tsunade fell down on her hands and knees. This couldn't be true. How could that loudmouth boy be dead? She began to do the only thing that she could do, cry.

That night the village had a celebration. News of Naruto's death spread like wild fire. Very few in any didn't attend for many different reasons. Choji and Neji were both in critical condition. Shikamaru was busy checking on his teammate and blaming himself for Naruto's death. Ino was lashing out at everyone who came close to her and started saying that they were glad the demon brat was gone. She didn't know the blond well enough, but it tore her up inside to see so many people happy about his death. Tenten refused to go outside and join the party for the same reason. Lee and Gai were crying that someone as youthful as Naruto had died. Hinata was in her bedroom crying her eyes out. Shino and Kiba just sat in their old class room, staring at nothing. This was where they had the most interaction with Naruto. Kakashi just stood by the Memorial Stone. And Sakura, well…

Sakura was sitting next to Sasuke's bed. She had a mix of emotions. She was happy that Sasuke was alright. However, the priced seemed too high. Naruto had gone this far for her, just to make her happy. Was that what love was? To go to the ends of the earth just to make that one person happy? Naruto had given everything for her, and how did she repay him? By hitting him and calling him an idiot. She felt low, very low.

Tsunade had tried to send a search party to retrieve Naruto, however…

"What do you mean no? He could still be alive," she shouted at the council.

"We do not have the manpower," said Homura. "Also, from what Kakashi has reported, it would be a waste of time. The beast is dead."

"If he was alive, who would want to save him," said Koharu. "We are better off without him."

It took everything Tsunade had not to kill them both. It became harder when they decided to pardon Sasuke. The claimed that since Naruto was a demon and murder only counts when it is a human killing another human that Sasuke didn't murder Naruto. They then claimed that since he was under the influence of the cursed seal that he could he held responsible for his actions.

The next thing she was denied was a funeral for him. They simply didn't want any remnant of the boy to exist in the village. In the end, all she was able to do was give the boy his wake that would be held in his apartment.

The next morning, Tsunade got up and began to prepare for the wake. This was her first time at Naruto's apartment and was shocked at what she saw. All over the door and wall on the outside was graffiti that called him a demon and wishing he would die soon. She opened the door and saw how he lived. The place was a mess. Some of the windows had been broken and several of his things had been stolen like his microwave. It took about an hour to clan up everything. During this time she found two pieces of paper near his bed. She decided to read them.

"I want to that everyone who is here today," read the first one. "I am happy to stand before you as the next Hokage. It has been a long road and I will do my very best for this village." The next part looked like it had been added to at different times. "I want to thank Iruka for being there for me. You're like the big brother I never had and always wanted. To Kakashi, thanks for teaching me how to walk up trees." After that there was a black spot, as if Naruto was waiting to fill it with more stuff. "To Sakura, I hope you have found what you are looking for and that you are happy. I also hope that you and Ino will stop fighting all the time. To Kiba, no hard feeling about of fight in the chunin exam. I mean alls fair in love and war. To Jiraiya, thank you for taking time out of your busy perverted schedule to teach me my best moves. Hinata and Neji, I will do all I can to help you with the problems in your clan. Sasuke, I hope you can put the past behind you and look to the future. You can never move forward if you are continuously looking behind you. Tsunade-baa-chan, I'm glad you came back to the Leaf village. I just want to say that you are the mother I never had. That is how I will always see you and know that you will always be in my heart. Now I hope you were listening because I'm not saying that again."

It ended there. Tsunade relieved that this was the speech Naruto was preparing for when he became Hokage. She then turned her attention to the other paper on the desk and was shocked by what she read.

"To who ever finds this note, I am assuming that I am now dead. I have two requests. The first is that everything I own goes to Teuchi and his daughter. It's the least I can do for all the meal I had there. My other request is that my speech is to be buried with me. If this village will just give me that, I can go to the next world happily, taking my dream with me. Well, that's all Mr. Looter or who ever you are. And please don't feel bad for me. If I haven't made Hokage then that means no one cares about me. I mean, who would cry for me?"

Tsunade stopped reading and began to cry. The note looked old, maybe a year or two. He had placed all his fears and doubts in this one piece of paper and left it here. It was his last request to this village and she could only fulfill half of it.

That night, only members of the rookie 9, the Sand Trio, Team Gai, and Jiraiya showed up for his wake. To many of them, this was a shock to see how he had lived. It made them feel spoiled. One by one they approached his picture and said a few words. For once, Shikamaru didn't say it was troublesome. When it was Gaara's turn, everyone was shocked to hear what he had to say.

"Naruto, you were the one person I considered my friend," he said. "When I heard that you were dead, I couldn't believe it. I-I just couldn't believe that someone like you could be stopped. You saved me from the darkness and yet I couldn't save you. Why couldn't I have been there for you? I will make it up to you. I will carry on your spirit and your dream in my village. I will try to love other and hold them close to my heart." With that, he got up and bowed before the picture of Naruto.

The next one who shocked everyone was a late comer. And it wasn't Kakashi. The man and his seven year old daughter went over to the picture and kneeled before it. Hiashi then spoke.

"I'm sorry I never thanked you while you were alive. What you did for Neji was something that I could never do. Thanks to you, my family has begun to heal. I also admire what you did for Sasuke. I tried to keep my brother from certain doom just like you did, but unlike you I failed. I would have gladly given up my life to spare him from death. I am glad that you succeeded were I failed."

One by one, the other said their goodbyes to the blond. Tsunade honored his wishes. She was able to sell everything in his apartment and gave the proceeds to Teuchi. A grave was set up for him in Wave Country, where he was seen as a hero and not a demon. Buried there was not a body, but a small box containing his speech.

Jiraiya moved to Wave country, refusing to step foot in the Leaf Village ever again. He kept in contact with Tsunade by mail and informed her and Gaara of Akatsuki's plans. It was rumored that he was giving up writing his porn books, feeling that he should have paid more attention to his student than naked women. Truly, he had taken Naruto's death hard.

A week later, Sasuke tried to escape to the Sound village once again. In the process, he wounded Sakura and killed a nurse, both who tried to stop him. This time, Tsunade sent ANBU to capture him and the mission was completed quickly. This time there was no escaping punishment. Tsunade thought about the death sentence, but didn't want to make Naruto's sacrifice seem meaningless. He was sentenced to a lifetime of imprisonment. In front of his cell hung a picture of Naruto, smiling at him. Tsunade felt that that was the best punishment for him, to forever stare at the face of the boy he killed.

On the beach of another continent, a boy with blond hair and an ugly tore up orange jumpsuit washed to shore. However, there were a few things different about him. One was his ears had changed to resemble that of a dog, wolf, or fox (think Inuyasha and ya they are on the same spot as Inuasha's). Another thing was that he had a long tail that was the same color as his hair with a white tip. A girl, who was walking nearby, rushed over to him and checked his pulse.

"He's alive," she said.

What did Kyuubi do to him? Where is Naruto? What new challenges await him?

Please read and review.


	2. Chapter 2

Fixed: Sennin not Sannin. My bad. :)

O.K. well we are about to find out what has happened to Naruto and about his new powers.

Jiraiya stood in front of a grave that had no body. This was the second student that he had lost. What made it worse were the similarities between his student and himself. Sasuke, like Orochimaru, had abandoned the village for his own personal gain. Naruto, like Jiraiya, went to stop him and bring him back. The only difference was that the blond had succeeded, at the cost of his life. In a way Jiraiya was proud of the boy and yet that didn't make him feel any better. He could have learned so much more and done so much. But he gave up his life to save his selfish teammate who, at the moment, didn't give a damn that the boy was dead.

Ibiki walked over to the grave and stood next to the frog sage.

"What are you doing here," asked Jiraiya.

"I was away on a mission and just heard about what happened," he replied. "I wanted to give my last respects to the boy." He chuckled for a moment as he remembered something. "Ya know, I was pushing for the kid to get promoted." Jiraiya turned his head to look at Ibiki. "In the first exam, he did something that no one was ever done before. He dispelled the fear I placed in genins. In a couple on sentences, everyone's fear and doubts vanished before my eyes. Also, in the third exam, he displayed the ability to think on his feet and never gave up. Those are the qualities that I look for in a leader. Sadly, most of the other examiners didn't agree with me. They sad that his information gathering skills were pathetic and that he showed poor judgment when he when in close range to fight that Hyuga. In the end, Tsunade asked Kakashi he thought Naruto was ready. He said no and gave no reason." Jiraiya turned his head back to the grave and gritted his teeth.

"Let me guess, he thought Sasuke was ready," said Jiraiya with venom in his voice.

"He did. In fact, he made a huge fuss when it was decided that Sasuke won't advance." Jiraiya chuckled a bit and then let out a sigh.

"I'd better let him say his goodbyes as well." With that, he bit his thumb and summoned Gamabunta.

"Jiraiya," said the toad, "why have you summoned me?"

"Just thought you might like to say goodbye to Naruto," said Jiraiya. At this the large toad looked shocked for a moment. He took the pipe out of his mouth and set it down.

"When I felt the link the connected us break, I assumed that the kid had simply signed another contract. That is the only other way, other then death, that a person can end a contract with his summon. What a pity. Tell me, how did it happen?"

Jiraiya told the boss toad everything that he knew. At first, Gamabunta wanted to go and ring the Uchiha's neck. Jiraiya stopped him by saying that Naruto would have wasted his death if he did that. Calming down, Gamabunta grabbed a sake bottle from his belt and let a drop fall on the grave. Now, this was a BIG sake bottle so when the drop landed it splashed on the two older men. With that, Gamabunta left.

Back in the Leaf village, Gaara and his siblings were getting ready to leave. They had stayed in the village to help teach at the academy. At the gates was Hinata, waiting for them.

"I-I wanted to say thank you for saying what you said," said Hinata to Gaara. "N-Naruto didn't have that many people around to call friends so I think he appreciated it."

"I meant what I said," replied Gaara. "My world was a dark and lonely place where only I existed. Then, when Naruto told my why he went so such extremes to help someone else I was confused. But, I was even more confused when he said that he understood me. He described how I felt perfectly, and with that light entered my dark world. He saved me from a loneliness that stemmed from the hatred that my father and the rest of the villagers in the Sand had for me."

"I-I know what its like," replied Hinata. Gaara gave her a questioning look and she decided to explain herself. "My f-father has resented me for years. Not just him, but the rest on my clan. So, I-I grew up with cold stares and unfeeling words. It m-might pale in comparison to your life, but I-I think I have an idea."

"I see," replied Gaara. "Perhaps we'll meet again and see if things have gotten better."

"I would like that," she said. The three Sand siblings then left the village for their home. Temari was wondering when she'd meet her lazy genius again. Kankuro was wondering when he could come back to scare the children. Gaara, well, he was thinking of a pale eyed beauty that he'd just meet and was wondering why his heart was pounding so much.

Naruto was just waking up and was surprised that the first thing he saw when he woke up was a girl about his age leaning over him and staring at his face. His eyes became dish plates and his face turned red. This girl was an Uchiha. She had the same dark hair as Sasuke and Itachi. Not to mention that her Sharingan was activated.

"Good, you're awake," she said as she got up and deactivated her Sharingan. Naruto could now get a better look at her. He was right about her age. She looked like she was 13 or 14. Her hair was done in a similar style to Anko's and she was dressed in a red Chinese style outfit that seemed similar to Tenten's except it looked like it was made for house work than fighting. "I'll go and get my parent and some food for you." She gave him a kind smile and left.

Naruto didn't know what to make of the situation. He was in a bed, dressed only in his boxers from what he could tell, and in some strangers home. Also, there was the fact that this person was related to the Uchiha clan. When had any Uchiha been, well, nice? All of the ones he had met seemed to have a stick up their ass and obsessed with power. Also, how could there be anymore Uchiha's since they were mostly dead? Where the hell did she come from? Then, Naruto had a scary thought. _Don't tell me I have been unconscious and that's one of Sasuke's kids!_ This thought ended when two people walked into the room who bared a resemblance to Kisame and Itachi!

"Hello dear," said the woman who looked like Kisame. She had blue skin, small eyes, and gill marks. Unlike Kisame, she wore a teal colored dress and her hair went down to her shoulders. Also, the large breasts seemed to indicate that this person wasn't Kisame.

"Are you feeling alright," asked the Uchiha man. He looked almost exactly like Itachi except for a few things. First was that he was a little pudgy and had a dark tan that comes from working in farm fields. He was wearing a plaid shirt and overalls.

Naruto was in shock. I mean, this was just freaking him out. Naruto quickly got into the fetal position and began to suck his thumb. It took the family about ten minutes to calm him down.

"Sorry," said Naruto as the family sat around him. "I was just a bit confused. You both resembled people that… well lets just say we didn't get along at all."

"I sorry if we scared you," said the shark lady. "My name is Aoi Uchiha. This is my husband Daiki and my daughter Mai. She's the one who found you and brought you back here."

"What happened to you out there," asked Mai suddenly. She then seemed to lean closer to Naruto. "Was your ship attacked by pirates? What's with your ears and that tail? Are you from a different country?" Naruto's ears perked when she mentioned his ears and tail.

"I don't have a tail and my ears are just fine," he said. To prove this he moved his hands up to where his ears should have been only to find nothing. He looked at Mai who was pointing at the top of her head. Realizing what she meant, he slowly moved his hands to his head and felt the new doggie like ears. He then lift his covers and saw that he did indeed have a bright, bushy, yellow tail with a whit tip. "Excuse me one moment," he said as me went into a meditative position.

Naruto was soon staring at where the cage of Kyuubi _should have been_. However, it wasn't. The cage was open and instead of the fox demon were several hundred scrolls along the walls. In the center of the now fox less room was a large scroll on a platform. Naruto rushed over to it, opened the scroll and began to read. It was a letter (if you can call it that) for him.

"Dear Flesh Heap,

"Great job, we both nearly died that's to your stupidity! You should have killed that bitch, taken his mate, and then had some fun. But no, you had to be a hero and think about his life. Do you have any idea what I had to do to keep you alive? There was massive blood loss, internal damage, lack of oxygen for your puny mind and heart, and those damn fish kept taking bites out of you. Did I mention I also had to use my chakra to keep your body from falling to the bottom of the ocean?

"I was faced with a choice. Either we both die or I give up my life to save yours. Now, let's get something straight. I saved YOU for a couple of reasons. The first one was that I wanted to be free of you and if it meant I had to die then so be it. You're annoying as hell. Then there's the fact that your actions reflect on me. If you die then I look weak and I can't have that. Finally, there's no easy way to say this but…I'm a virgin."

At this Naruto stopped reading and began to laugh his ass off. The great Kyuubi, in his 10000 years or more of existence, had never had sex. Well, this explains why he's always cranky. Naruto pulled himself back together and began to read some more.

"Because of this, I never had any kits of my own. Meaning that I have no one to pass on my legacy. All of my knowledge will be gone forever in my passing. Well, if I did have a kit, I'd want him to be a bit like you. Well maybe smarter, stronger, better fashion sense, and quieter. But, you've got gut and determination that are admirable. The way you have faced your problems has made me proud. Especially when I compare you to some of the other's I could have been sealed in. Gay Sasuke, Lee just sends shivers down my spine, or Sakura who would have wasted my powers chasing that prick.

"Since I am now dead, my chakra is gone forever. But don't think I have left you with nothing. While I was fixing your body I was able to give you powers that should help you. I call it Tail Shift. There are a total of nine tails and each one carries its own power. The first one is your normal self. While you are in this body you have your normal healing powers and can use jutsus. In this room is my knowledge including special jutsus that can be used in by you thanks to your new fox traits. Also, you are automatically signed up to summon foxes instead of toads. The second tail is the fire tail. This tail will give you full control over heat and thermal energy. Also, it will give your punches an extra blast. While you are in this form your tail will turn red and the tip of your tail will be made of fire.

"The third tail is the water tail. Your tail will look like it was made of water and when ever an opponent tries to fight you the attacks go right threw. Only ninjutsu will be able to harm you. Also you can breathe under water. The earth tail will look like it is made of soil and rocks. This will be your tiajutsu mode because your strength is greatly increased to a level near Tsunade's.

"The fifth tail is the lightning tail. Reflex and speed increase along with the ability to dematerialize into energy and travel as a mass of energy, moving at nearly the speed of light. When you are like this your tail will turn platinum. The sixth tail is the wind tail. In this state your tail will turn grey. In this from you can fly but only as fast as the wind can take you. The ice tail looks like it is made of ice. While in this state you can create weapons made of ice out of nothing.

"The wood tail is your eighth form. It grants you the ability to control plants of all kinds and to infuse chakra as a life source to heal living creatures, grow plants, or increase the power others. This one is green. The shadow tail is the last one. Your tail turns black and in this form you can vanish from sight along with others who are close to you.

"One last thing to consider is elemental manipulation. Since you will only be able to use your jutsus in your normal mode, I suggest you practice on your wind manipulation and add it to that Rasengan thingy.

"I hope your puny mind can remember all of that! Now, live long so I don't have to hear your annoying voice for a while.

"Signed, The Great and Powerful Kyuubi no Kitsune."

Naruto was shocked. Kyuubi had given him power and it was amazing. This also meant that the cause of all of his sufferings was gone forever. When he got home, people would have to treat him like a person. Wait, home? Where the hell was he? How long had be been gone? What if they sent hunter-nins after him? Naruto came back to the real world where only a second had passed.

"I have to ask some questions," he said. "Where am I and how long was I out?"

"You have been here for about a week, but I don't know how long you were unconscious," said Daiki. "As to where you are, you are on the continent of the Celestial Dynasties. To be more specific, you are in the Milky Way Dynasty." Naruto's expression became heavy.

"So I guess walking to the Elemental Countries is out of the question," he said with a light laugh.

"Indeed," replied Daiki. "Ships only travel there maybe three times a year and tickets are very expensive."

"I have another question," said Naruto. "How come I have seen your clan back where I come from?"

"That's because we originated from there," said Aoi. "It was about 250 years ago when we left. During that time, the Clan Wars were taking place. These wars were started to eliminate as many of the competition for the ninja's as possible. Many of us were caught in the middle of a war that we didn't want and hated. Also, many of the clans had rules that were too harsh. Our ancestors, along with many others, got together and sailed away. Since then, we have lived freely in this land and have used our skills and knowledge to help others. For example, because of the Sharigans ability to copy others perfectly and prediction abilities allows the user to become a medic much faster. My daughter was the one who took care of you. There are, however, some who have become a problem by leading bandit gangs and such."

"Does that mean there are Hyuga's here as well," asked Naruto.

"Yes," replied Daiki. "My grandfather was a Hyuga in fact. In this village we have Kamizuru's, Hoshigaki's, Uchiha's, Kaguya's, Kurama's and many others that have probably been whipped out. And that's just in this village. We are now spread out all over the continent along with the natives to this land."

"Well," said Aoi, "we'd better let you get some rest and let you eat your meal. Mai, where is the food you were supposed to bring?"

"Crap," muttered Mai. "I'll get it now." With that, the three of them left Naruto alone. Naruto decided to take this time and look at his surroundings. The room looked like it was used for guests seeing as the walls were bare and only had the bed and a dresser in it. A few moments later Mai came in with a tray and set it in front of him. On it was a bowl of rice, three pieces of fish, and some miso soup.

"Thanks," said Naruto as he began to dig into his food.

"Well, are you going to tell me," she asked.

"Tell you what," asked Naruto before he took a bite out of his fish.

"How you got here," she said as she crossed her arms. "You owe me that much seeing as I'm the one who found you. Now spill." Naruto sighed as he realized that she wouldn't let it go.

"I was in a fight," he began. "My teammate decided to betray our village and I was part of the group to bring him back. In the end, I won. However, I was badly hurt and my sensei chose to help my teammate and left me to die. I guess I was washed out to sea and landed here."

"Damn," she said. "I guess you must have some powerful bloodline to survive in that condition." Naruto let out a light chuckle.

"I guess you can all it that," he replied. Then he thought of something. "Hey Mai, how can I make a lot of money really quickly?" She looked confused for a moment.

"Why do you want to know?"

"I need to get back home. There are people who must be worried about me. Well, not a lot but I still have to go back!"

"Well, the fastest way is to join a bandit gang," said Mai as she crossed her arms. "But, that would make you a criminal. Maybe becoming a bounty hunter would be better. The problem with that is you would get that attention of the bandits and they would hunt you down. I guess you could do odd jobs for a while. It may take a while but it is the safest."

"I doubt that your shinobi would like someone like me taking away their jobs anyways," said Naruto. To his surprise, Mai shook her head.

"We don't have any shinobi," she said causing Naruto's eyes to dish plate. "The emperors use their armies to try and enforce the laws, but they are out numbered and can't be everywhere at once."

"Are these bandit gangs really that bad?"

"Ya. The three main gangs are the Tora, the Inoshishi, and the Panda. Each one is controlled by a Sennin who can summon giant beasts that can destroy an entire village. Even without their summons they are very powerful and they are the only ones who have the summoning contracts." She looked up at Naruto who seemed depressed. "I'll come back later. When you are feeling better I'll show you around town." With that, she left Naruto alone once again.

His head was buzzing with this new information. Shinobi skills were being used by bandits and causing problems. This wasn't right! But, then again, was it his problem? He had his own home to go back to and had to do it quickly. Also, one person can't solve all the worlds' problems. He reached for the necklace that Tsunade gave him and held it tightly. He would make it back home. He had to see them all again and make sure they were O.K. Even if most of the people back home hated him, he would go back for the few people who were precious to him. Someday, he would return.

Well, that it for now. So, how was it? I'm working on so translations for some jutsus so if any one is will to help it would be greatly appreciated. Or, if you have any ideas for fox related jutsus let me know.

To clear up any confusion, the Sennin in this continent have shinobi skills but are bandits. There are no shinobi villages and the emperor's armies don't have enough people who know ninjutsu or genjutsu to stop them and are out numbered. Kyuubi is dead but has left a parting gift to Naruto and now can summon foxes.

Please read and review so I know I'm doing a good job.


	3. Chapter 3

Well, here is the next chapter. Before I begin I would like to answer a few questions that have come to my attention. First, why didn't Kakashi just make a shadow clone? Well, first off, he believed that Naruto would die no matter what. Also, he was worried about Sound reinforcements. Remember that shadow clones and the Sharingan take up a large amount of chakra. Second, Kyuubi was a demon fox. Naruto is now able to summon normal fox summons. Please keep that in mind. Third, why does Naruto want to go back? Despite everything that has happened to him before this he has never turned his back on his home. He also knows that not everyone hates him and he believes that Tsunade will be searching for him. I mean, if he hadn't landed in the water, FACE DOWN, then he could have been up and back to the village in a couple of days. He believes that Tsunade will remember this and will be trying to find him. He doesn't want her to worry. Last thing is the reason why Naruto will have to pay for a ticket. While Naruto's chakra is still very large, he no longer has Kyuubi's to tap into. This means no boss summons for a while. His other forms also take up a large amount of chakra. The longer he stays in them, the more chakra he will use up. And it is a long ways back to the elemental countries.

Many of you have asked for pairings. I have hinted at a couple (sigh) but I'll just have to tell you all. Gaara and Hinata will end up together. Neji and Tenten are a given. Lee and Sakura will be together (big eyebrowed, forheaded, and pink haired children scary). Shikamaru and Temari because I like seeing that lazy ass get hit by that fan. Ino and Choji will balance each other out. Kankuro… he's all alone. As for Naruto, he gets my OC, an Uchiha with a personality that doesn't involve a stick up her ass.

I have other OC's in my other stories. If you would like one of them in this story please let me know. Also, today a new OC makes his appearance how is related to Tayuya. Let me know what you think of him.

True to her word, Mai took Naruto into town as soon as he was feeling better. She didn't expect him to recover the next day thanks to his healing powers. She voiced her concerns saying that he shouldn't push his body to much. Naruto just smiled and told her that he was fine. She, however, didn't stop worrying and said that he should stay in bed of at least the rest of the week. That changed as Naruto used a very powerful puppy dog pout on her. The ears and tail added to its strength and she caved.

It felt good to be walking around once again. Naruto had barrowed some clothes for Daiki and was now wearing jeans and a plain grey shirt. A hole had been cut in the jeans for Naruto's tail. Once outside, Naruto noticed that the Uchiha's were farmers. Their fields seemed to go on forever (The beach he was found on was about five miles away. Mai likes long walks on the beach.). The house its self was a simple two story building that was painted red.

In a way, Naruto was happy for the long walk into town. It would give him time to think. One of the heavier questions on his mind concerned the members of the team that was sent to 'rescue' Sasuke. Were Neji, Choji, Shikamaru, Lee, and Kiba all right? Then he remembered Tsunade's medical skills and he stopped worrying so much. When he began to think of her, he was filled with hope. She was probably sending shinobi to search for him. He knew the odds were slim that she would find him, but slim odds had never stopped him before. Then his thoughts went to the village. They had probably forgiven Sasuke and Sakura was back to asking him for a date every five minutes.

Sakura, that was a name he would never forget. He had loved her for a long time. When they had been assigned to the same team he had been very happy. At the time, he believed that she would start seeing him as more than the demon child and prankster. But, that never happened. The day he brought back Tsunade was when that fact hit him in the face. She had run right past him and went right to Sasuke, crying. No thank, or I was worried about you since you never said good bye, or anything like that. It was then he decided to let her go. Since he could never have her heart, he decided to do whatever it took to make her happy. That was the reason why he promised to bring the teme back. He wanted to make her happy, no matter what.

The town it's self seemed ordinary. Homes and businesses were together and people were going in and out of them. It had a park for the children and he could hear their laughter. What came as odd for him was that half of the population seemed to consist of people with bloodline limits. As both Mai and Naruto walked, he saw children playing using their special powers. A child who looked like an eight year old version of Haku was using ice mirrors to play a game of tag. The other children looked like an Aburame, a child with six arms, another kid with mouths on his hands, and a kid (unknown to Naruto) who could control magnetic forces. No one, other than Naruto, seemed surprised by this. In fact, few people gave him a second look. Those that did had hearts where their eyes should have been.

While Mai showed him the town, Naruto looked for work. The odd thing was that they all said to come back at the end of the month. Luckily, he had someone he could ask.

"It's because it's almost time for the Hyuga clan to leave," she said simply. Seeing the look of confusion on his face she continued. "The Hyuga clan is nomadic. They travel around the different Dynasties, moving from area to area. When one of them falls in love with someone out of the clan, that person settles down. I think my father said that there are eight groups of Hyuga's. He also said something about a caged bird."

To say this surprised Naruto would be an understatement. He was in utter shock. The Hyuga clan, the most prestigious clan back home, were nomads here.

"Can you show me where they are staying," he asked.

"Sure," she said as she began to walk in the intended direction. "Can I ask why?"

"I just want to see them," he said. "Back home, the Hyuga clan is…stuck up. They are just so formal about everything. Also, they aren't really big on being, well, a family. It's kind of hard to explain."

Mai was shocked. A Hyuga was stuck up? When the hell did that start?

When they reached the edge of the town (opposite of where they entered) Naruto saw a small encampment. There were about 70 large tents. Outside, he saw children playing with their parents while the older kids and teens were cleaning and chatting. Sitting in front of a tent, he could see a mother rocking a baby to sleep. They were all seemed to wear clothing that seemed to be patched up. The normal unfeeling face he held of the Hyuga clan could not be found here. They were all smiling happily. Naruto couldn't help but smile.

"I hope the rest of you can find this," said Naruto as he looked up at the sky. He couldn't help but think of the other Hyuga's and their imprisoned state.

"What," asked Mai with a confused look on her face.

"Nothing," he replied shaking his head. "Well, let's get back to your house before your parents worry." They turned to leave, but Naruto short one last glance at the people who were free like bird.

The next month passed by quickly. Naruto had a lot on his plate. Using his shadow clones, he was able to help Daiki out in the fields. Hey, being able to create fifty of yourself comes in handy.

"That's amazing," said Daiki as he watched the clones plant new seeds and other such things. "I have never heard of a jutsu that lets someone make physical copies of themselves." Naruto nodded.

"It's only known by the people in my village," he said. "Probable created after your ancestors left."

While his clones did their work, Naruto began to discover more about his new body. He still had unbelievable stamina and enough chakra to make a jonin jealous. Using meditation he would enter the soul room and read about his new forms and some jutsus that the fox had left. The fox also had an amazing amount of knowledge that baffled the blond. Over the month, he learned about demonic politics (basically they fought until anyone who disagreed with them were dead hence a lot of fighting), cooking (one of Kyuubi's hobbies), history of the human world (at last he knew what killed the dinosaurs), and psychology (Kyuubi had issues). When he was done, Naruto would come back to the real world and practice what he learned. By the end of the month, he had learned how to activate all of his forms, three new jutsus that he had never heard about, and one that belonged to Ero-sennin. He also began to do some exercises that would help with chakra control and increase it as well. By the end of the month he had learned more than he did with both of his perverted teachers.

Back in the Leaf Village (at the end of the month), Tsunade was in a meeting with the council. She had called this meeting after receiving a letter from Jiraiya about Akatsuki and Orochimaru.

"Well Tsunade-sama," said Danzo. "What is so important that you all us?"

"My former teammate just sent me new information about Akatsuki," she stated.

"They are no longer a concern to us," said Homura. "The demon is gone. Why should we care?"

"They are going after Orochimaru," said Tsunade as she grit her teeth. They had no respect for the dead.

"Why," asked Danzo.

"They are blaming him for the death of Naruto," said Tsunade. "He first endangered the life of Gaara with his plan to destroy the village. Now, in his latest scheme, Naruto has…died. They are pissed that they have lost their most prized target. So they want his head. According to Jiraiya, they are gathering their forces to rage war against the Sound. It will be power verses numbers." The council nodded. The Sound had the numbers and Akatsuki had powerful S-class criminals on their side.

"It looks like that brat finally did something right," said Koharu after a while. "We should let them fight and then take them out when they are done."

"I agree," replied Tsunade with an icy tone.

"Tsunade-sama," said Danzo, "I have a request. Please release Sasuke into my care."

"OUT OF THE QUESTION!"

"Please hear me out," said Danzo calmly. "The village needs the Uchiha clan. However, with one being a missing-nin and the other sentenced to live in our prison, the clan looks like it will die. But my plan will at least make him useful to us. I plan on turning him into a mindless tool for the village. He will have no emotions and be our puppet."

"Are you will to risk him escaping again," responded Tsunade. "I let you three have your way last time and we lost a nurse. Had you listened to me that girl would still be alive!"

"Then how about this," replied Danzo again. "How about artificial insemination to rebuild the clan."

"No," said Tsunade. "I will not allow you to rebuild that clan in such a means."

"Tsunade-sama," said Koharu. "I also have an idea, but not about the Uchiha clan."

"What," was her answer.

"I think that we should take precautions incase you are unable to chose the next Hokage. I mean, look at what happened after the chunin exam. A backup should be ready. May I suggest Kakashi? He has the support of the village. After all, he is known for making _logical_ decisions." Tsunade slammed her palms into the table.

"No," she shouted. "That man is not worthy of the title. He relies on that _eye_ of his. He is also late for everything except to get the latest Paradise book. No, I will not allow _him_ to become Hokage." She got up and moved to the door, but stopped as an idea came to mind. She turned back to them. "But the idea is good. As my emergency replacement I chose Gai." With that she left the room, while they council looked utterly shocked. She'd rather have Gai as Hokage? Later that day she told Gai about the meeting and her decision.

"I will do my best with the POWER OF YOUTH," said/shouted Gai. "But, why me?"

"One, I hate Kakashi and don't want him to be Hokage," said Tsunade. "Second, what you have done with Lee is a miracle. A creepy miracle, but a miracle none the less. He was dead last in his class and now he is one of the best genins we have. Another other jonin sensei would have marked him as a lost cause had done everything they could to get him to quit. But, you didn't. You treated him like family and helped him. That is what this village was founded on, family."

"Thank you," said Gai quietly for once.

"I will still be looking for a successor, but it will be nice to know that there is a backup ready in case I don't get the chance." With that she dismissed Gai and turned her attention to a new black picture frame on her desk. "I wish you could have had someone like him. Well, a bit more normal."

Back in the Milky Way Dynasty, Zanku was not having a good day. Last night he didn't have enough money to stay at an inn and had to sleep outside. The next morning he had woken up and found he was tied up and being dragged by members of the Inoshishi who had also stolen his Kirigakuon. He could see it sticking out of a wagon near him. Zanku sighed beneath the bandages that covered his mouth. He was dressed in grey sweatpants and an armless blue sweatshirt with a hood. He had short messy red hair that seemed to stick up, dark eyes, and tanned skin.

"Hey guys," said one member of the Inoshishi gang, "it looks like the kid's up."

"That's a great deduction shitface," said Zanku. "Let me go and give me back my fucking Kirigakuon. And I'm not a kid asshole I'm 15!" One of Zanku's flaws was his swearing habit. Oddly, all members of his family had that problem.

"Kids got a mouth," said another as they laughed. "How much do you think we'll get from that zanbato?'

"Maybe three thousand," said another. Zanku looked pissed.

"Its worth a lot more than that," he shouted. "Let me go and I'll show you it's true worth numb nuts!"

"Hey look over there," said the first guy. He was pointing over at a group coming towards them. It was the Hyuga clan. They hadn't noticed who they were yet. Greed and lust filled their eyes. Greed for money and lust for killing.

"Hey assholes, they're mostly women, children, and old fucks," shouted Zanku. "Just leave them the fuck alone. If you want a fight take me…" He never finished as one of the bandits hit him in the back of the head. The last thing he heard before he blacked out were screams.

A few hours later, Mai and Naruto were walking back to town. As they walked Naruto was getting more information on the Sennins and their gangs.

"They are more like armies really," said Mai. "The Panda gang controls the Pegasus Dynasty. The Tora control the Andromeda Dynasty. The Inoshishi are in control of Virgo Dynasty. Each group has about 500000 members."

"So, they aren't any in this Dynasty," said Naruto. Mai shook her head.

"I wish," she said sadly. "They are trying to increase their power all the time. Right now they are setting their sights on Milky Way. Soon they'll start to stake their claims."

"Why don't you fight back," asked Naruto. "I mean, if everyone would just stand up against them they could be taken down."

"Easier said than done," replied Mai as they neared the town. "No one wants to risk their lives. Besides, if you piss them off enough they'll send their upper member to kill you and those you care about. And if you survive the Sennin will come personally. No one can stop their summons."

Naruto blinked at this. Her voice, which was usually cheerful, sounded defeated. These bandit gangs took more than just their possessions, they took their will. Naruto realized that they had given up long ago.

A few minutes later, the two found the town to be oddly quite. Everyone had gathered in the center around a group of about 30 to 40 men. They all wore identical light brown outfits with fur around their collars. On their chest was a picture of a boar with an eye patch smoking a cigar. There was also another guy with them that was tied up. Behind them was a wagon that was filled with items that looked familiar.

"Well, I hope everyone is here," said the one who was most likely their leader. "We have good news for you all. The Inoshishi gang will now be offering this village protection. Well, as long as you pay." He gave everyone an evil grin that reminded Naruto of Gato. The leader of the group then moved over to a shop window, picked a rock off the ground, and threw it into the building. "See, you pay us and things like this won't happen. Forget to pay too many times and even worse things can happen." He then pointed to the tied up guy. "He will be used as an example of what will happen."

"Hey shitheads," shouted the tied up guy. "Why don't you bastards tell them about those Hyuga's you killed on the road." Everyone gasped. Some of the children started to cry. Naruto then remember some of the items, he had seen them with the Hyuga's.

"Well that seemed to get their attention," laughed the leader. "But, I think a personal demonstration is in order." The gang member moved away from Zanku. Their leader began to make hand signs. "**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!**" The people watched as the fireball consumed the boy. When it was done, nothing remained. "Rest in peace, boy."

"Hey, let me go shithead," came a voice from above. On the roof of a nearby building was Naruto holding Zanku over his shoulder.

"Hey," shouted the blond. "I barely had time to use kawarimi no jutsu and I saved you live. You should be thanking me." Below, everyone was sweat dropping.

"Ah, don't they know that they could have gotten away if they were quite," said one guy in the crowd.

"Idiots," said Mai. "They are both idiots."

"Looks like we're going to have to teach this whole town a lesson thanks to you," said the leader. Naruto ignored him as he set Zanku down and began to untie him.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki," said Naruto. "What's your name?"

"Zanku," he replied as Naruto finished untying him. He got up and stared at the gang. "I so need to work out some stress."

"Do you think you can take them? I mean, they caught you and tied you up."

"They only reason those fuckers tied me up in the first place was because I was asleep. Listen, just help me get my zanbato and I'll help you take care of these asses." Naruto grinned as he looked down at the gang.

"Deal," said Naruto as he remembered a certain redhead of the sound four. _They have to be related._ Naruto then brought his hands together like he was about to gather chakra. "**Bikoutai: Yama!**" Zanku noticed that Naruto's tail began to change from a furry blond colored tail to a tail that looked like it was made of dirt and rock. Naruto felt powerful. Strength pulsed throughout his body. With a roar, he jumped down and slammed his fist into the street when he landed. The result was a huge crater and several nearby members being thrown into walls. Members began to charge at him and Naruto was ready to strike back. The first fist missed and Naruto gave him a soft palm thrust that sent him back several feet. Another came and a soft kick sent the next guy flying.

Soon, all the members of the Inoshishi gang had all their attention on Naruto. This let Zanku get his Kirigakuon. It was a large zanbato that was shaped similar to Zabuza's. The only difference was that this was thicker and had slits in the front and rectangular holes in the back. He grabbed his sword form the wagon and jumped into the air. He noticed a group of 10 moving towards the crowd. Zanku made a downward thrust motion with his sword and shouted "**Chouon Bakudan!**" A loud bang was heard as a sound wave was sent out of the sword and moved towards the group. When it hit, it left a large crater, crushing the bandits.

"It's on now bitches," he shouted as he landed. He then began to swing his sword wildly as he charged at the remaining bandits. The fight continued for less than 30 seconds.

"**Bikoutai: Kai**," whisper Naruto as he changed back into normal form. These guys were weak. They had to be the genin of their gang. He walked over to where the leader lay and stared at him. "Why did you kill the Hyuga's?"

"Don't bother Naruto," said Zanku as he walked over. "I was there. There was no reason other than greed and the desire to kill."

"Your both fools," choked the leader, grabbing both of their attentions. "When we don't come back, Inakamono will come here. The only thing you have done is sealed this town's fate."

"Who's that," asked Naruto. Zanku answered him.

"He's a middle ranked member of their gang. Like his name suggests, he looks like a fucking clown. But, he's the most dangerous clown you'll ever meet." Naruto nodded then turned to Zanku.

"So, which gang are you with," he asked.

"None," he replied. "I'm a bounty hunter in training. So, I know about some of the more famous members. I was on my way here to take care of these shits for brains but, they got me while I slept." Naruto smirked at this. Then, he remembered the Hyuga's.

"Did any survive?"

"The Hyuga's? No clue. They knocked me out right before the fighting started."

Naruto's eyes widened. _There could be survivors!_ Making the sign again, Naruto shouted "**Bikoutai: Raimei!**" The fur on Naruto's tail turned platinum. He turned to the leader.

"Where are they," he asked. Not waiting for an answer, Naruto grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him close. "TELL ME!" The leader lifted his hand and pointed in the desired direction. Naruto dropped him and turned into a bolt of energy that vanished in less than a second.

"Well," said Zanku after a moment. "That bastard sure is interesting." He turned to the townspeople who were still in awe. "So, what's for lunch?"

A bolt of energy appeared next to the grave field of the Hyuga clan. Naruto's form returned to normal as he was low on chakra. He looked at the bodies, not a sound was heard. The only thing that seemed to move was the wind. Many of them had gashes from knife wounds and others looked like they were burned to a crisp. This wasn't a battle, this was a slaughter. The thought sickened Naruto. His whole life he wanted to use powerful jutsus so he could become Hokage. But these people defiled those skill and training.

Naruto was about to walk away when he heard a cry. He began to search for the source of the sound. What he found was the only survivor, a baby Hyuga girl that looked no older than a year old. Her mother had shielded her from the attacks, even after death. He picked up the child and began to rock her slowly in his arms.

"It's alright now," he said as he moved back towards the town. "Your big brothers here now so stop crying." Slowly, the baby began to quite down and began to make cooing sounds. Naruto smiled down at her. This was a new experience for him and he liked it.

"Don't you see what you have done," shouted a woman in the crowd. Zanku just wanted a bite to eat and here they were, biting his head off. _This just goes to show what happens when you do a good dead. You get screwed._ They had been yelling at him for the last couple of hours now and he was getting tired of it.

"They would have just taken some things and left us alone," shouted another. "Now they will come looking for blood."

"They would have done it sooner or later," said Zanku causing everyone to shut up. "What, you think that those Hyuga's were killed because they didn't pay? Let me tell you what I know about people like them. I was raised in a village in Pegasus that was under _protection_ from the fucking Panda. After they had taken everything from us, they started taking people as compensation. The last time they came, those assholes took all the women and children and sold them into slavery and killed all the men. I was hiding in the near bye forest when it happened. That was eight years ago and I still haven't been able to find my mother and little brother. So trust me, sooner or later they will fuck you over."

"You sure have a way with people," said Naruto was he slowly walked back into town. Everyone turned and saw what he was carrying. Naruto let out a sigh. "She was the only survivor. Everyone else was dead." Mai went over to him quickly.

"Here, let me check her out," she said. Naruto nodded and gave her the child. As soon as she left Naruto's arms she began to cry. Mai quickly examined her for bruises, cuts, and infections. She seemed well but she wouldn't stop crying.

"Here, let me hold her," said a woman with six arms. Mai gave her the baby and she kept on crying. The woman tried rocking the child to sleep, but nothing changed.

"That's odd," said Naruto. "She didn't make a fuss when she was with me."

Mai and the woman looked at each other.

"You don't think," asked Mai.

"It could be," the other replied. She handed Naruto back the baby and she quieted up quickly and began to giggle.

"This is unfucking believable," laughed Zanku loudly.

Translations:

Kirigakuon Note Slasher

Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu Grand Fireball Jutsu

Chouon Bakudan Supersonic Boom

Bikoutai: Yama Tail Shift: Mountain

Bikoutai: Raimei Tail Shift: Thunder

Bikoutai: Kai Tail Shift: Release

I could change the Naruto pairing. I like this one because, well, she's a nice Uchiha and it'll piss Sasuke off when he finds out! Another idea I have is a relative of Orochimaru. That's just scary. Or maybe an anime filler girl. I could do something like that. So, read and review. More reviews equals more chapters!


	4. Chapter 4

Sigh, I have more explaining to do. That's just great. Listen up; Zanku is a bounty hunter in training who is related to Tayuya. I got a lot of people asking about that.

I would like to give thanks to my translator Dragon Noir. Also, I would like to thank Silverscale for one of his jutsus that I will be using later on.

And for all of you who want a damn line, fine.

* * *

Feel better? (I begin to mumble.) 

Inakamono sat in a field about a weeks walking distance from the village where Naruto was staying. He was a pudgy man in his late twenties that had black spiky hair that made it appear that he had a crown. In the middle of his forehead was a smiley face. He wore a red and yellow stripped outfit with a small cape on his back that had the silver boar on it. He had sent his underlings to take care of the village so that he could train. The promotional inspections would be starting soon and he was close to being promoted.

Soon, he saw the figure of an 18 year old boy walking towards him. He had short brown hair and narrow eyes (think Gin from Bleach). In his hair were three feathers. He wore tan colored Taoist robes and on his chest was the silver boar. On his hands were thick gloves. Inakamono knew who this teen was. He was the right hand man of the Inoshishi-sennin, Choukan. Somewhere nearby was his partner Tsuishi. Inakamono got up and bowed before him once he was close.

"Choukan-sama, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit," he asked.

"The men assigned under you have failed," said Choukan. His voice was giddy and his smile never left his face. This was just the way he was. His smile was fake, a mask that was used to hide a form of sadness that he told no one about.

"Was it the Panda or Tora," asked Inakamono.

"Neither," was his answer. "They were defeated by a bounty hunter in training and a farm boy."

"Impossible! How could two weaklings defeat 45 lower members?"

"Well the bounty hunter has some skill. Also, according to Tsushi, the farm boy has some new bloodline limit that he has never seen before."

"I will take care of this problem at once!"

"I'm glad to hear that. Be sure to kill the bounty hunter. As for the farm boy, bring him to the base. Once he is brought there, the Inoshishi-sennin will _convince_ him to join us." When he finished, a whirlwind of feathers surrounded Choukan and he vanished.

Inakamono sighed. This sounded like it would be too much work. He hated working too much. But he dare not complain in front of Choukan. Inakamono sighed again began to walk. _Maybe I'll run and cut the distance down to three days and get this over with._

The next day in the village, Zanku and Naruto were sparring. Naruto was using his ice mode, which was helping his aim and weapons skills. He was reaching into thin air and pulling out kunai from nothing and throwing them at Zanku. Zanku used his Kirigakuon to block the attacks. After a while he charged at Naruto. Seeing this Naruto created his own zanbato and blocked the attack. Both of them had the same strategy when it came to swords, swing like a maniac.

On the side line was a shadow clone Naruto created before the spar began. The clone was holding the baby Hyuga in its arms. Every time someone other than Naruto held her or when she was set down she would start crying. She was only quite and happy when she was near Naruto. It seemed that the clone was able to fool the infant. Sadly, there is always an exception to the rule.

"Hey boss," called the clone as the baby began to cry. "I think the baby needs a diaper change."

Naruto and Zanku stopped fighting. Naruto looked over at the clone and rolled his eyes.

"Well, what are you waiting for," he asked his clone. "Change her!"

"Right boss," replied the clone. The clone pulled out a blanket from a nearby basket that they had brought with them and gently placed the baby on it. Then it grabbed some wipes, a new diaper, and an instruction book from the basket and began to change the diaper.

"Let's take a break shithead," said Zanku. Naruto nodded and turned back into his normal form. He looked at his clone, which was struggling to put on the new diaper, and sighed.

"I wish I knew a diaper changing jutsu," he said. Naruto had gone into the soul room when this problem first came up to see if the fox had left him that information. Hell, he would have taken any information on babies. Sadly, he could only find cooking recipes. (Bad Kyuubi!)

"What is with you and that brat anyways," asked Zanku. "I mean, why does she only like you?"

"I have no idea. Maybe it's a Hyuga thing. Hinata Hyuga was weird as well."

"What the hell do you mean she was weird?"

"She was always hiding around corners and stuff. She stuttered a lot and whenever I tried to talk to her, her face would turn red. Every time I went to check or move closer she would faint."

"I see…did she do this with everyone or just you?" Naruto crossed his arms and began to think.

"Just me," said Naruto after a while.

"You really do have shit for brains. Listen closely, that Hinata girl has a crush on you."

"WHAT?"

"Yep," replied a smug Zanku.

"Wow, I just thought that was a Hyuga thing," said Naruto as he sat down. "I mean, it happened a lot with the women of the Hyuga clan. When I was five I was walking down the street and this lady from the clan just grabbed me, picked me up, and started hugging me. She said something like wanting to put me on a shelf. Then there was that time a teenaged Hyuga told me to give her a call in a few years. And I can't forget the Hyuga nurse. She would sneak me ramen every time I called her nee-san." Zanku's eyes were now wide as he stared at Naruto.

"Naruto, you are the Hyuga pimp," exclaimed Zanku. He began to laugh when Naruto's jaw dropped to the ground.

"All done," said the clone.

"Well at least Asahi has a clean diaper," Naruto said as he got back up.

"Naruto, once you name it you have to keep it," said Zanku with a laugh.

"That's not funny," said Naruto loudly. "I'm only holding onto her until I find another group of Hyuga nomads."

"Right, you have to go back to your homeland," sighed Zanku. "Why not just take her with you?"

"I just can't," snapped Naruto. The truth was he was afraid of what would happen to Asahi if he brought her back to the Leaf. The Hyuga clan would place her in the branch family and the bird cage seal would be placed on her. If something happened on the way and Cloud found out about her and the other bloodlines on this continent, they would come for them. Hell, Orochimaru would come just to grab a new body. His best option was to find Asahi a family and leave her with them.

"Whatever," said Zanku.

"Hey Zanku, what do you know about the sennins?" This was something that he had asked Mai earlier. Sadly, she had no clue what they looked like or any powers they had.

"Well, I don't know much. According to what I have heard the Inoshishi-sennin is a man covered with bandages, wears a fur coat, and is in the mid thirties. His bloodline allows him to control magnetic forces and uses iron sand. Well, that's what I heard. The Tora-sennin was recently replaced by his apprentice. The new Tora-sennin is a 17 year old girl with green hair and has a gambling problem. She has a bloodline ability that lets her control plants. The Panda-sennin is very secretive so no one knows what he looks like. All anyone does know is that he can clone people by using human scarifies."

Naruto simply nodded and stood up. He was still wearing the cloths that Daiki gave him. The villagers had offered to give him new clothing for free, but Naruto had turned them down. It didn't seem right to take advantage from these people.

"Naruto," shouted Mai as she ran towards them. She was carrying a bundle of clothing.

"What's the matter," asked Naruto. "Is that clown guy here?" His adrenalin began to rush.

"No," she said when she stopped. She held out the cloths she was carrying to Naruto. "These are for you. You need something better then my father's old cloths to fight in."

"I can't accept them," said Naruto.

"Yes you can," insisted Mai as she forced the clothing in Naruto's arms. "Think of it as payment for helping in the fields."

Back in the Leaf village, Danzo walked over to Sasuke's cell. Inside it, Sasuke was doing push ups. He kept muttering things about dobes. He stopped when he saw Danzo standing in front of his cell.

"What are you doing here," asked the traitor.

"I'm here to help you Uchiha-san," said Danzo with a smirk.

"How can you help me?" His question was answered when Danzo opened his cell door. Sasuke smirked at this and walked out.

"Now follow me and we will slip past the ANBU," said Danzo.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why are you helping me?"

"The Hokage is a fool. She doesn't have the strength to do what needs to be done to ensure this villages power. If it means making a deal with the devil then so be it. I will be going with you to help Orochimaru and help him train his forces. The Third robbed me of Root and they will be reborn in the Sound village."

Sasuke nodded. It was no secret how much Danzo hated the Third for disbanding Root. Now, the village would pay for their foolishness. They had locked up the last Uchiha and tried to keep him from fulfilling his destiny. Now, these two were moving towards Orochimaru to aid him so that they could all have their revenge.

Tsunade was in her office when she heard a knock.

"Come in," she said, not looking up from her paper work. The door opened and in walked Sakura. She slowly walked over to Tsunade and waited. After a moment, Tsunade stopped and looked up. "How may I help you?"

"I would like to train under you," replied Sakura.

Tsunade blinked, she never expected this. According to the girls file and Kakashi's reports, she didn't show much interest in her training. She had good chakra control and was at the top of her class in the book department, but that was it. It also said she had a talent for genjutsu, but Kakashi hadn't trained her in that department. To her knowledge, all Sakura knew were the three academy jutsus.

"Why should I train you," asked Tsunade.

"I don't want to be useless anymore," she said as she looked to the ground. "It's my fault Naruto is d-dead. In every mission I relied on Naruto and Sasuke to do all the work while I just stayed back and watched. I was useless in the chunin exam and just got in the way during the Sound and Sand invasion. I couldn't stop Sasuke from leaving the village. All I could do was make Naruto promise to bring Sasuke back." At this point she was crying. "I don't want to be responsible from the deaths of any more of my friends."

Tsunade sighed. She seemed genuine. It was that or a well prepared performance.

"Very well," she said after a moment. "I'll give you a chance. Just don't screw up."

"Thank you Hokage-sama."

The next evening in the Milky Way, Mai and Zanku were conspiring. They were on the side of the barn. The topic: Naruto's past. He had kept many things from them and they wanted to know. However, when he did reveal something about his past it confused them. Sometimes, he had a sad look in his eyes.

"You ask him," said Mai.

"No, you ask him," insisted Zanku. "You have known him longer."

"Ask who about what," asked Naruto as he walked around the corner. Mai turned to face him and bit her lip. It was now or never.

"We were just going to ask you about…your past," Mai replied.

"You can make clones that are solid," said Zanku. "That must take up a lot of chakra, but I rarely see you winded. You seem to be afraid to take Asahi with you back to the home you want to go back to. And those are just a few of the things that we want to know."

Mai saw the sadness return in Naruto's eyes, even though he kept smiling. He looked like he was replaying events in his head. But she had to know. She had grown found on him in the time he had spent with them. He was kind and hard working. He was trustworthy and honest. She just wanted to know more about him. Was that so wrong?

Zanku's reasoning was a little different. Naruto was strong and he had no idea what his motives were. For all he knew, he was here to spy for the Elemental Countries. Until he told them, he was a threat. After all, friendship and respect were earned, not given.

"If you knew about my past," Naruto said after a while, "you would hate me."

"Why," asked Zanku as he narrowed his eyes. Naruto just shrugged.

"Most people just do," he said. "Most of the people who know hate me and would like nothing more than to see me dead. There are few people who would willingly accept me."

"Don't you think we deserve a chance," asked Mai. Naruto sighed.

"Alright, I don't see any rocks around here so I guess it'll be safe," he said. They couldn't tell if he was serious or joking. "I was born in a shinobi village in Fire Country. On that day, a demon attacked our village. Its name was Kyuubi no Kitsune." Mai and Zanku stared at him with wide eyes. They had heard about them demon from legends.

"The Hokage at the time tried to defeat him," continued Naruto. "The Hokage is the leader of my village because he or she is the most powerful shinobi. However, he couldn't defeat the Kyuubi so he did the next best thing. He sealed the demon away. However, he needed a living vessel for this. Someone whose chakra coils were still forming, meaning someone young. Someone recently born." Realization hit Mai and Zanku.

"Y-You mean," said Zanku as he pointed at Naruto. Naruto just nodded.

"After that," he continued as he looked up to the starry sky, "my life was hell. The seal made me the prison for the fox, but that's not what the people saw. Or, maybe it's what the people back home didn't want to see. To them I was simply the demon reborn in a human body. The worth part about it was that I had no clue why everyone hated me. I was alone. No one wanted me.

"Despite everything I kept going. My dream was to become Hokage and earn everyone's respect. I worked hard and trained everyday. Thanks to Kyuubi, I could heal from any injury almost overnight and had enough chakra to make an elite jealous. But no matter what happened, no matter how much I did, all they saw was the fox.

"On my last mission my teammate, Sasuke Uchiha, betrayed the village to side with a human who acted like a monster. I went to stop him and was seriously wounded and left for dead. The fox couldn't save us both so he gave up his life to keep his pride intact and because he thought of me like a son. With his passing, I gained these powers." Naruto stopped and looked at them. Mai looked like she was about to cry. Zanku still had his eyes narrowed.

"So, why would you want to go back," asked Zanku. Naruto just smiled.

"I made a promise," he said. "I promised that one day I would be Hokage. And I always keep my promises. Also, there are a few people who see me as more than a demon or its container. They are the people who are more precious to me than anything else in this world. I don't want them to worry."

"W-Why are you against taking A-Asahi with you," asked Mai threw her tears.

"The Hyuga clan back home enslaves its members," he replied. "Well, not the main branch. If I took her back then they would place a cursed seal of servitude on her and she would have to live the way they told her to." He paused for a moment. "Well, now you know. I understand if you want me to leave." Naruto turned and began to walk away, only to be stopped by Mai who ran up and hugged him. "W-Why?"

"You idiot," cried Mai. "How could anyone see you as a demon? A demon would never help people and protect them."

"Fucking idiot," shouted Zanku. "Who is stupid enough to think YOU are a demon? I mean, they're smart! A five year old could outwit you!" Naruto turned to him in a fit of rage.

"You want to fight or something," he yelled. Zanku just laughed. Soon, they all were.

The next day the people of the village were out and about doing their daily activities. The children played while their mothers watched them. The bakers, well, baked and…why am I telling you all this? It's an average day in this village. That's not important. It's that guy who is just walking into town that I should focus on!

Inakamono smirked. The village was ripe for the taking. All he had to do was take care of two brats and it would fall. He stopped in the middle of the village and decided that this would be the perfect spot to entertain himself. He made a hand sign and yelled, "**Doton: Doryūdan!**"

Back at the Uchiha's place, Naruto had changed into his new outfit and was outside with Mai. He was now dressed in white sweatpants and a blue sleeveless shirt. The pants had a small hole for Naruto's tail. He had chosen not to wear his headband since there was no real point. On the front of the shirt was a red foxes head with nine red tails spreading out from it. At the end of each tail had the kanji from each of his tail forms and for the last one was 'soul'. The back confused Naruto.

"It's the yin-yang symbol," explained Mai. "It represents balance between good and evil. It also shows that nothing is purely good or evil. I think it suits you well."

"Thanks Mai-chan," replied Naruto. Suddenly, there was a loud crashing sound. Then, Zanku ran out of the house.

"I think the fuckers here," he shouted as he ran towards the village. Naruto nodded, shouted good bye to Mai and went followed Zanku. When they got there, several building were destroyed. People were running away and in the center of all the chaos was Inakamono.

The Inoshishi bandit looked at the two teens standing in front of him. He assumed the red head was the bounty hunter, judging by the zanbato on his back. The other one had to be the farm boy that Choukan told him about.

"So, you two must be the brats that took down my men," he said at last. "Funny, I expected something better."

"The only thing funny around here is that outfit," said Naruto with a smirk.

"I try," said Inakamono. "It is out of kindness that I try to leave a smile on the faces of those I'm about to kill. Now, resign your selves. **Tawainai Suji Baindo!**" With that, he moved his right hand up to mouth, which was shaped like a small O, in a way the looked like he was holding up a cigarette. Then, a purple colored string shot out of his mouth and wrapped around Naruto.

"Hey, what the," yelled Naruto as the string hardened and he began to struggled to move.

"It's useless boy. Nothing can get out of the Tawainai Suji Baindo."

"Asshole," shouted Zanku as he charged. He swung his zanbato at his opponent and made contact. However, instead of cutting the clown in half, the sword bounced off of him sending Zanku back several yards.

"Sorry boy," said Inakamono with a mocking smile. "My body has a special ability that protects me from most attacks. Now, **Fuusen ko Kyougaku!**" He opened his mouth wide and several purple balloons popped out. They flowed around the area between the two and then became stationary (meaning they are staying put).

"You think some fucking balloons are going to stop me from kicking your ass," yelled Zanku. "**Fushiken!" **He swung his sword, which made a humming sound, and several sonic blades were sent flying to Inakamono. The blades hit the balloons which not only canceled the attack but caused the balloons to explode. Zanku raised his free arm to shield his eyes. Inakamono rushed over to him and did a leg sweep that knocked him to the ground and followed it up with a heel drop.

Naruto watched as Zanku got wailed on. He tried to move his arms to form a hand sign but couldn't. He had no kunai on him and if he tried to make the Rasengan he would be hit with it since his palms were face down. Then, Naruto had an idea. He focused chakra into his hand, as instructed in the scrolls Kyuubi left, and soon his left hand was a bright blue chakra claw. He the slashed out of the purple string and yelled, "**Juutsume**", as he shot the claw towards Inakamono. The jutsu hit the clown, grabbed him, and sent him back into a building.

"What the hell was that," asked Zanku as he got up. Naruto went over and gave him a hand.

"Juutsume is a jutsu that doesn't need hand signs or an instrument," said Naruto. "Basically, it's a way to use charka to slash threw anything and can be launched at an opponent. The problem is, when launched, it loses power. Its true strength comes from close range."

Inakamono walked out of the building. He his clothes were torn and he had several slash marks along his chest. He was pissed. No one did that to him and lived. Screw the boss. He would take that freak of nature and skin him alive. He made some hand signs and called out his attack. "**Kikan Taku Warai!**"

Naruto and Zanku were soon surrounded by at least twenty Inakamono's and one was enough. They then heard him yell out "**Fuusen ko Kyougaku**". The clone all simultaneously opened their mouths and the purple balloons came out and filled the area.

"This is my ultimate genjutsu," said all of the Inakamono's at the same time. "Not only are you seeing more than one of me, but you hear me form all directions. I'd like to see you try to figure out which one is the real me before your doomed."

_The fucker is right_, thought Zanku. _The clones mimic all his actions and attacks. Most of those balloons are fakes, but somewhere in there are real ones._ He was cut from his thoughts when the Inakamono's spread their arms wide and then clapped their hands in a single motion. Suddenly the balloon rushed towards them. Naruto kicked Zanku out of the way as the attack struck and the field was covered with smoke.

"Asshole," shouted Zanku. "I didn't want you to save me!"

"Don't worry," said the Inakamono's. "You'll be joining him shortly."

"I don't think so," said Naruto shocking everyone. The smoke cleared, in a dramatic fashion, and they saw that Naruto's hair had grown and surrounded his upper half with hardened needles. His lower half was taken care of by his tail. "**Hari Jizō** was a success," he said as his hair returned to normal.

"It doesn't matter," said the Inakamono's. "You won't be able to figure out where I am and I can just make more balloons. Face it, you can't win." Naruto smirked and bit his thumb.

"When you can't see or hear your opponent," said Naruto as he made hand signs, "the only thing left to do is smell him out! **Kuchiyose: ****Doton: Kitsune Hora!**" With that he slammed his palm onto the ground and was able to pull of his summoning. Six small foxes shot out of the ground around where the real Inakamono was and bit into his arms, legs. Unlike Zanku's attack, they didn't bounce off and stayed on him. The clown's jutsu was canceled as he trashed around trying to get the foxes off of him. He didn't notice Naruto make his most powerful jutsu with both hands. Soon his attack was ready and he charged yelling, "**Rasengan" **as the attack hit him and sent him spiraling into another building.

"You can summon," exclaimed a wide eyed Zanku.

"Ya," said Naruto has he began to pant a bit. "Don't worry, Mai-chan knows. I have been practicing over the last month, trying to see how far I could go. I'm not even close to the boss level summons yet, but I'm getting closer."

Zanku was shocked. Naruto was a sennin. But, he wasn't like the other sennins around here. If he became stronger then maybe…

"I never expected that," said Inakamono as he slowly walked over. He was panting heavily. The impact mark from the Rasengan could still be seen, but other than that and his previous wounds he seemed fine. "But, it'll take more than that to beat me. And you both look tired."

"Then I'll just have to hit you harder," exclaimed Naruto. _I only have enough chakra left for one more attack. Sorry Fuzzy Brows but I have to take a page from your book._ "**Bikoutai: Tatsumaki!**" Naruto's wind tail turned grey as his wind mode took over. A powerful wind surrounded him and he began to fly threw the air. A moment later, Naruto moved behind Inakamono and grabbed him and began to lift him up. When they reached 100 meters, Naruto flipped them around and they shout spinning head first towards the ground. "**Tatsumaki Renge"** yelled Naruto before they hit the ground and Naruto separated for him, rolling away on the ground as he turned back to normal. The force of this attack left a large crater. Zanku moved over to it and whistled.

"That shithead isn't getting up for this one," he said. He was right. Inakamono's body might have protected him from must of the damage, but it hit its limit. Inakamono was laying back down and coughing up blood. His arms and legs looked mangled beyond any recognizable degree. To put it simple, he was done with his life of crime.

Zanku looked over at Naruto. He was passed out. Slowly, the villagers moved towards him and began to check him out. Someone called for a doctor. Other were yelling to give him some space. One thing was odd however, Naruto, who was probable in a great deal of pain, was smiling.

Choukan entered the room of his master, the Inoshishi-sennin, with his hawk on his should. The Inoshishi-sennin was sitting in a rocking chair holding a small china doll. He looked up at his number two man.

"What is it," he asked in a dry voice. "Rei doesn't like to be disturbed during her nap time."

"I have bad news," said Choukan. "Inakamono has failed. And according to Tsuishi," the hawk squawked, "we have a new sennin. A Kitsune-sennin."

Well, that's were I am leaving off for today. Asahi means morning sun. I chose this name for symbolic reasons. The rising sun symbolizes a new day, a new beginning. Sorry about Sasuke, but I had to do it. It will make the story more interesting.

Next time I will be revealing more about the other sennins. I am also thinking of using the second movie as one of you suggested. So, I would like you all to vote. Also, I already have a fanfic with Isaribi and Naruto so she won't be in this one. Sorry!

Translations: (might be incorrect, I try my best)

Fuusen ko Kyougaku: Balloon Great Surprise

Tawainai Suji Baindo: Silly String Bind

Kikan Taku Warai: Mirror House Laughter

Juutsume: Claw of the Beast

Kuchiyose: Doton: Kitsune Hora: Summoning: Earth Release: Foxes Den (ya, i know it's a rip off)

Bikoutai: Tatsumaki: Tail Shift: Tornado

Fushiken: Melody Blades

Tatsumaki Renge: Tornado Lotus


	5. Chapter 5

Now, I'm normally a calm person. But, I have just seen the trailer for the next Naruto movie and I am PISSED OFF! It shows Naruto dying! I don't want to see that! I want to see Sasuke die or Kakashi. I'll tell you all right here and now that when I see that movie and Naruto does die I am going to Japan and I'm kicking asses. I mean I will kick every ass in Japan. They will feel the wrath of an angry American Naruto fan! I haven't been this pissed off since I saw the last episode of Inuyasha. Who was that a good ending? Naraku is still alive and nothing was resolved. Now, I'm going to pout in a corner while you all read this chapter.

* * *

He was a man of few principles, the Inoshishi-sennin. His basic belief was to kill all who irritate him. Some said that this was because of the fact that he had burn and scar marks from head to toe thus he was covered in bandages. The only wholes were for his eyes and mouth. Some people wished that his mouth was a bit more covered because he had lost his upper and lower lips and his teeth were easily seen. The only thing that he wore over his bandages was a heavy fur coat. The china doll that he always held was named Rei, who was half covered with burn marks. Next to his rocking chair were two vases.

"What was that," he asked Choukan. His voice sounded irritated.

"Inakamono failed in his mission in one of the villages in Milky Way," said Choukan with a smile. "Not only was he beaten by his opponent, it turns out that he could summon foxes. I wish I could have seen it!" Just then, another bandit ran in.

"Inoshishi-sama, I need to…" he started to say by was cut off by a glare from his boss.

"Baka," said the Inoshishi was iron sand began to rise out of the vases. "**Sensatsu Suishō!**" At that, the iron sand reshaped it's self into needles and rained down on the poor soul who entered the room at the wrong time. Choukan last gave this body a quick look then turned his attention back to his master.

"What shall we do about the kitsune-sennin, Inakamono-sama," asked the unparsed Choukan.

"Kill him," growled the sennin as he began to rock back and forth. "Send out the Assassins. I want him dead"

The Assassins were made up of four women. They weren't strong, but they were beautiful. Like the Sirens in Greek mythology, men were drawn to them and ignored all the danger around them. What were they like? No one really knew until it was too late. No one had ever survived an encounter with them. The only thing that was known was that their victims always had four lip stick marks on their cheeks. If you became a target for them I could tell you only one thing: Enjoy your last night on earth.

It was two days later and Naruto was finally waking up. He slowly got up and saw that Zanku was sitting next to him. He was reading a newspaper and didn't seem to notice that Naruto was away. Asahi was in her crib next to his bed.

"So," said Naruto as he got Zanku's attention. "Any good news?"

"Hell ya," said Zanku as he tossed the paper at Naruto. On the cover was an article about that day's events. "Word has spread," he continued. "I bet this entire fuckin dynasty knows about you now. It is only a matter of time before the other dicks in the other dynasties find out about you."

"Well that's good news," said Naruto. "So, I guess then they'll think twice before they attack this village." Zanku closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, his look was one of complete seriousness.

"Naruto," he said, "this village doesn't concern them anymore. Well, it does but it's not a high priority. You are." When he said that, he pointed to Naruto for emphasis. "It will be the same with the other shit brained sennins, they won't let someone else like them rise to power. It will alter the balance they have between them. Also, they won't let the people have fuckin hope. It will undo all the fear they have placed in the people. They will send everything they got at you and kill you to make an example."

Naruto could only nod. At least they would go after him first and not the village. But, there were other villages out there and two other gangs trying to make there claim. Once they heard about him, they would try to kill him. It was like he was placed in their version of the Bingo Book.

"You said that guy I fought was just a middle member," said Naruto. With Zanku's nod he continued. "So, how does the ranking system work?"

"The lowest rank is the shitty lower members. They are the fuckin grunts and take up the majority. The next level belongs to the middle member asses. Above them are jackasses called upper members. Then there are the kiss asses that are the sennins right hand men. Finally, you have the greatest dicks of them all, the sennins. That's not including their apprentices since sometimes they won't have one."

"And they are all coming after me. That's just great." Naruto had begun to realize how much he had relied on the Kyuubi's chakra to win. He had only beaten Haku because of Kyuubi as well as Gaara. His fight against Kiba had been won by dumb luck. He had been helpless against Itachi and Kisame. Kabuto had nearly kissed him. Now, without it, he was on his own.

"Not all at once," said Zanku. "Even the emperor would notice an army coming towards his border and do something. Well, at least try to. So, we are going to have to make you stronger. The two of us are going to go on a training journey and become stronger."

Naruto looked at him like he was crazy. Well, maybe that was because he was. Before Naruto could say anything, Mai ran into the room.

"I heard everything," she said. "I'm coming to."

"Like hell you are," said Zanku. "We don't need the dead weight."

"I'm a healer," said Mai as she activated her Sharingan. "Also, if I leave the two of you alone with Asahi, she'll pick up on your bad manners."

"We're not taking the brat," yelled Zanku.

"I don't think we have a choice," said Naruto. "She's only calm when I'm around. Also, I need to find another group of Hyuga nomads to take care of her. Odds are that we'll run into them eventually."

"So," said Mai, "does this mean that you are giving up on going home?"

"No," said Naruto firmly. "I'm just putting it on hold. I've probable been declared a missing-nin already. I'll just take my time and go back when I'm stronger and hopefully they'll take me back. Also," his eyes began to narrow, "the thought of the shinobi skill being used like this is sickening. I'll teach those bastards a lesson they'll never forget."

After a short while, the others went to pact up. We'll, Zanku went to get some camping supplies and stuff like that. Mai went to pack her clothes and some medical supplies. Naruto only had the clothing on his back and the scraps on his old attire. Thinking of them for the first time, he walked over to them (he had kept them) and checked the pockets for anything useful. All he found were two pictures.

The first one was of him, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune. They had taken this picture shortly before they left to return to the village. Tsunade had her arm around Naruto and Jiraiya was being slapped by Shizune for doing something perverted. These people were the closest thing to a family that he had so he always carried this picture with him.

The other picture was of team 7. Both Naruto and Sasuke were glaring at each other as Kakashi ruffled their hair. Sakura was standing in the middle with a smile on her face. Naruto had brought this picture along to remind Sasuke what he was throwing away. Sadly, he never got the chance since Sasuke wasn't in the talking mode.

With a sigh, Naruto put the pictures in his pocket and tossed his old orange clothing in the trash. He then gathered as much of Asahi's baby supplies as he could and then picked her up as well. It was time to leave.

Before they left, Aoi and Daiki said their goodbyes.

"You take care now," said Aoi as she hugged her daughter.

"Take good care of her," said Daiki to Naruto. "I'm counting on you to make sure she's fine." Naruto nodded and the three of them headed out.

In the Leaf village, Tsunade let out a loud sigh. Team 8 had just returned from their mission to get a Bikochu to help them find Danzo, Sasuke, and Orochimaru. During the mission the team ran into some Rock-nins who were also after the bug. The end result was that no one got the bug. Not only that, all three of them were wounded. Hinata had several broken ribs, Kiba nearly lost a leg, and Shino had a broken arm.

This was just the latest in a long run of failed missions and disasters. After Tsunade found out about Danzo's betrayal, she sent a two ANBU teams to Sound to try to capture/kill them. Once in Sound they ran into the Fuma clan and fought some of their members. It seemed that Orochimaru had tricked them into serving him. They fought and killed three of there members. The report also mentioned a girl named Sasame, however what happened to her was unknown. The end result of the mission was that the snake had moved his base and could be anywhere.

Then there was the Mizuki escape incident. He had taken along with him the Legendary Stupid Brothers to run to Orochimaru. Iruka had tried to stop him and was seriously hurt. He was lucky he would be able to walk again. When they had finally caught up to him, the potion he had made and used had back fired on him and what they found was a shriveled and powerless old man.

Now she had to send Gai's students to stop a group led by Raiga that had taken over a village. She wished she didn't have to send genins to do these high level missions, but they were short handed at the moment. It would be a few more years until they could become stable again.

Over in another section of the village, Konohamaru was training harder than ever. Since Naruto's death, he had been training harder than ever. Once he heard it had been Sasuke who had killed the person he viewed as a big brother, he wanted to kill him. Iruka, who had noticed this change in him, told him that Naruto had never given into hatred.

"How would Naruto feel if you killed someone out of hate," Iruka had asked. "Besides, Sasuke has been sentenced to life of imprisonment."

Then Sasuke escaped. Then Iruka got hurt. Slowly, Konohamaru began to hate. He hated Sasuke and the people who helped him. He hated the people who had praised him. He hated the people who had made Naruto's life hell. But, most of all, he hated himself for not being able to do anything.

"Excuse me," said a voice behind him. "Are you almost done with this training field?" Konohamaru turned around and saw Hanabi Hyuga who was in his class. She was wearing her normal training cloths and had a water bottle and towel.

"No," said Konohamaru, "I'm still training." Hanabi raised an eyebrow. From what she could see, he was covered in sweat and his fists were bleeding. His clothing had holes and grass stains. His hair was sticking to his head. In short, he looked like hell.

"Mind if I join you then," she asked.

"Fine," said Konohamaru. "Just don't bother me." Hanabi went to the other side of the field and began to train.

It had been a week since Naruto, Mai, and Zanku had left the village and hit the road. Things had been going well except for one thing, Zanku forgot to buy a map. Mai, who had never left her village, was a bad choice for a guide and Zanku had only just arrived in Milky Way. In short, it was the blind leading the blind.

During their time on the road, they were able to get some serous training done. Thanks to the shadow clones, Naruto could supply them with plenty of training partners. The training was basically fighting 300 shadow clones a piece while one clone held Asahi. Zanku, for some odd reason, had no problem attacking targets that looked like his new friend. The clones he faced attacked him in mass and quickly to build up his speed and reflexes. The clones that fought Mai went slower and one on one to build up her fighting style.

Naruto learned that he couldn't use any jutsus while he was in his other forms that hard way. While he was training with his earth tail, he had tried to make a Rasengan. Once the clones saw he struggle, they smirked and proceeded to beat him up. After Naruto picked himself up, he decided to do some research (not that kind!). What he found was that his chakra was redirected when he was in his different forms. For example, when he used his earth tail, his chakra was sent to his muscles. When he went into his elements like water or electricity, his chakra was directed to his molecules so that they could be separated and put back together.

Naruto shrugged this off and continued the training. Sure, it was a disappointment that he could only use jutsus in his normal form, but the other forms were very powerful without them. Using Kyuubi's library, he showed Zanku the Kaze no Yaiba in case he lost his sword. Mai began to learn several new medical jutsus. Naruto tried to help them, but all he could do was repeat what he read in the scrolls. Naruto himself began to train himself so he could make the Rasengan with one hand.

Now, they were on a road leading to a village named Algol.

"Finally," yelled Mai. "It's been ages since I had a hot bath. And the village of Algol is said to have hot springs. We have to stop there."

"Figures," said Zanku. "We finally reach civilization and she wants a fuckin trip to the hot springs. I say we get a map, get something to eat, and get the hell out of here."

"Well Mai-chan has a point," said Naruto who was carrying Asahi. "We could use some relaxation and I haven't been to a hot spring in a long time. We can still get a meal and map so theirs no problem there. Plus, we reek. I guess my nose was improved as well."

"Majority rules," shouted Mai. After a few moments Mai spoke up again. "Hey Naruto, what were the hot springs like back in your homeland."

Naruto closed his eyes and thought back to the few times he had been to them.

"I guess they were alright," he said. "I mean, they were just hot springs. Nice place to go every once and a while, but not my favorite place in the village."

"What was your favorite," asked Mai.

"The Ichiraku Ramen Bar," said Naruto with a big grin. "Best place to eat in the village. It was so good."

"That's it," asked Mai. "Your favorite place in the village was a ramen stand."

"Yep," said Naruto. "It was the only place that didn't chase me out or over charge me for my food. The old man and his daughter were always nice to me."

Mai suddenly understood why it was his favorite place. It made his fell normal, human. Over the course of the week, he had been slowly opening up to them. He told them about some of his missions and stories about the pranks he would play. He tried to dodge the more painful memories, but Mai could see the pain in his eyes when he did. For what she could tell, Naruto had never fully shared his life with anyone and had problems trusting people on certain issues.

Zanku, on the other hand…

"Ramen sucks ass," he said, missing the point. "Now taco's, that's something I could sink my teeth into."

"Hey, ramen is ten times better!"

"Taco's, you little shit sniffer!"

"Ramen!"

"Taco's!"

"Ramen!"

"Taco's!"

About an hour later of arguing, the group stood in front of the entrance to the hot springs.

"So how are you going to enjoy the hot springs with Asahi," asked Mai. "I mean, she can't go over to the boy's side." Naruto smirked and made a shadow clone. The clone then used a henge and became a female version of Naruto.

"This is how," said Naruto as he handed Asahi over to the clone. With that, the group entered the hot spring. Mai wasn't worried. After all, it wasn't like Naruto would get to see her naked. Right? (hehehe yes I am evil!)

A group of four women arrived shortly after the group entered the hot spring. They were the Assassins.

"The target is in here," said the eldest, Mamizu. "Aori, what does he look like?" The youngest reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.

"He has blond hair, dog like ears, blue eyes, a tail, and whisker marks on his face," said Aori.

"Are you sure he's in there," asked Resshin.

"Just look up," said Kachuu as she points up. "See, Tsuishi is circling above. Choukan-sama said he would do that to tell us were the target was."

With that, the Assassins entered the building.

Mai, Asahi, and the female Naruto clone (all naked) entered the females side to find only one other person there. She had long light green hair that rested on her shoulders. Her eyes were a golden color. She had an average size bust for a girl of seventeen. She sat there in the hot spring drinking some sake.

After a short, but uncomfortable, silence Mai spoke out.

"Hi," she said to the green haired woman. "My name is Mai Uchiha. These are my friends, ahh, Naru (so sue me) and Asahi. What's your name?"

"Why would you want to do," asked the teen as she took a sip of her sake. Mai looked down at the water.

"Just trying to be friendly," she said. The older teen gave them a short glance and then sipped some more sake.

"My name is Yuri Genshirin," said Yuri. She looked at 'Naru'. "Aren't you a little young to have a kid?" 'Naru's' face turned red.

"She's not mine," cried Naru. Yuri smirked.

"I'm kidding," she said as she began to giggle. That's when Mai noticed something about her.

"Those are beautiful earrings," said Mai. That they were. From the stud was a golden chain that held a single stone or gem that looked familiar to her.

"They are part of a set," said Yuri. "When my ancestors left Elemental, they took these and left the necklace. These stones are very valuable. In fact, if I wanted to, I could sell them and buy a mountain for each stone."

'Naru' just blinked. Where had 'she' heard that before for?

On the boy's side, Zanku was pouting.

"Why couldn't this shit hole have co-ed bathing," he whined. He was now looking for a hole on the bamboo fence that separated the two sides. Sadly, he was having no luck. The management checked the fence every night to make sure there were no holes.

"This is nice," said Naruto. He was lying down so that only his head could be visible. His eyes were closed, savoring the feeling of the water. His ears were flattened so they couldn't be distinguished against his spiky hair.

"Naruto," yelled Zanku as he turned in his direction. Naruto only opened an eye. "Do you have any fuckin powers that can give us a good view?"

"No," said Naruto as he closed his eye. "I would never learn a jutsu that would make me a pervert. I would use it to defeat perverts, but not become one."

"But I have needs," whined Zanku.

"Then let us take care of you," said a voice as the door opened. There, in the doorway, were four hot Hyuga women who had their bodies wrapped in towels.

"My name is Mamizu Hyuga," said the eldest. She appeared to be about 21 and had long black hair that reached her ass.

"I'm Kachuu," said the 19 year old woman. She had dark blue hair that only went to her shoulders.

"How are you? My name is Resshin." Resshin was 16 years old, bustier than the rest, and long light blue hair that was braided.

"I'm Aori," said Aori as she jumped into the water. She was the youngest, 14 and soon to be 15. Her hair looked exactly like Hinata's only it was black. "We are part of the 'special services' that is offered by this establishment. It keeps bad boys from peeking."

It was at that moment when Naruto turned his head to face the Hyuga women. As he did, time seemed to go in slow motion for effect. He slowly opened his eyes and his ears slowly began to rise. The Hyuga's recognized him as the target, but something came over them. _Kawaii_. Soon, all four of them were blushing. Then Naruto did something that broke all of their resistance.

He gave them his foxy smile.

"HE"S MINE," they all shouted at once as they charged. Soon Naruto was surrounded by the four girls who were all asking him questions at once. What was his favorite food? Did he have a girlfriend? Did he like older women?

"What about me," asked Zanku who they ignored. Zanku then had streams of water running out of his eyes as the girls lost their towels (for all of you who are wondering, there will be no lemons). "Yep, he is the Hyuga pimp."

Zanku would have said more if it weren't for a loud crash from outside. Soon, the yelling of men and the breaking of doors could be heard. A moment later men dressed in black uniforms with a panda on their chest entered the men's side. They were about to yell at them until they saw Naruto.

"Lucky bastard," they said in unison.

The Panda gang had entered the village. They were led by Héng Wǔ, a woman of 24 and was well gifted with the sword. She wore a white trench coat that was buttoned up and seemed a few sizes too big for her. She had long black hair and red pupil less eyes. She had a bored look on her face. It was another day, another village to exploit. She had sent her men to gather the townsfolk so she could give them a…demonstration.

She heard some of her men scream in the direction of the hot springs. She turned her head behind her and saw three of her men tossed out of the establishment. A few moments later to _boys_ stepped out. The larger one had bandages around him mouth and had short red messy hair. He was wearing grey sweatpants and a blue sleeveless sweatshirt with a hood. He held an oddly shaped zanbato. The shorter one had fox like traits like whisker marks, fox ears, and a tail. He had blond hair and blue eyes. He wore white sweatpants and a blue sleeveless shirt with a foxes head with nine tails sticking out from behind it.

"I hate fuckin Panda's," said Zanku.

"Well, at they were useful," said Naruto. "Those girls wouldn't let go." Zanku stared at Naruto.

"You're not supposed to want to get the hell away from something like that." Naruto just shrugged and stared at the woman in front of him.

"I'll take her," he said. "You can take all of her men."

"How come you get the fuckin good ones," yelled Zanku. "I want to beat the shit out of her!"

"I just figured you might want to beat up more than one opponent," said Naruto with a smirk. He hit the nail dead on.

"Fine," said Zanku as he placed his blade on his shoulder. "Just don't take to long." With that he ran right past the woman, who kept her eyes on Naruto, and began his attack.

"So what's your name," asked Naruto as he gave the woman in front of him his foxy smile.

"Héng Wǔ," she replied. "You must be that Kitsune-sennin that I have heard of. It is my duty to end your life." With that, she swung her sleeves and a barrage of throwing knives came flying at Naruto.

"**Hari Jizō**," shouted Naruto. His hair and tail grew and hardened to protect him. The knives hit his hair armor and bounced off. A moment later, the jutsu wore off. "My turn, **Otekidan!**" The fur on Naruto's began to harden and looked like needles. He moved it in the direction of Héng and about a dozen or so needles shot out of it.

Héng, seeing the attack, reached into her coat and pulled out a sword that was still in its sheath. In a single motion, she deflected his attach. Naruto looked surprised and Héng had the same bored expression on her face.

Snapping out of it, Naruto charged at her. When he got close he threw a series of punches and kicks at her. Each blow was blocked with the hilt of her sword. Inside her mind, she was analyzing him. _He is loud and brash. He just attacks without a plan. His form is sloppy. The only real danger is his stamina and chakra supply. I know who to handle people like him._ Then, in one motion, the hilt met Naruto's gut and sent him back several feet. As Naruto got up, Héng unsheathed her sword. Well, to be more accurate, swords. They were twin Chinese style blades that fit in one sheath.

"Time to end this little farce of yours," she said in an uncaring tone. She now had a sword in each hand.

"I'm just getting started," shouted Naruto as he prepared for his signature jutsu. "**Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**" Naruto created twenty clones and they charged at their opponent. Sadly, not one survived. With fluid like motions, Héng cut and slashed each of the clones as the real Naruto just stood there.

Now it was her turn. She charged at Naruto and began her attack. _He'll start by dodging to his left and try to punch me in the face._ She started out with a downward thrust and Naruto dodged to his left. He was about to counter by punching her in the when she twirled and nicked his side. _Next he'll use the clone jutsu again and try to surround me._ A moment later Naruto yelled "**Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**" and surrounded her with seventy five clones. They all charged at her by jumping into the air. She let out a sigh and raised her blades. Like with the first batch of clones, they were quickly disposed of. She didn't even break a sweat. The real Naruto couldn't believe it.

"It's like she knows what I'll do before I do," he said aloud.

"That's because I use logic," said Héng. "Everything in life should be followed with logic. Take the people of this continent. There are two types of people, the predators and the prey. Logically, the best way to survive is to be the predator. You, however, are an illogical fool. You are trying to take down the predators and you will fail. Think about it. Even if you defeat me, there are still over a million more like us still out there. Even if you defeat us all, which is impossible, other would come around sooner or later. Not to mention that you can't be everywhere and save everyone. Thus, your actions are pointless." Naruto just glared at her.

"I'll show you," he shouted as he charged once more.

_Time to finish this._ With that thought, Héng began to move him. She didn't lift him; it was more like guiding him as he dodged his blades. A slash to his right and he dodged to his right to avoid it. Poke his right and he moved right. Thrush forward and he moved backwards. Soon Naruto was backed into a corner. _This is it!_ "**Meido no Seki!**" With that yelled, she jumped in the air with her swords in an X formation. A moment later she slashed a large X on Naruto as she landed in front of him.

Héng took a moment to reflect on her move. It was perfect. It starts long before that attack is called out. Because she could foresee her opponent's attacks and counter them, she slowly destroyed her opponent's confidence and will to fight. Then, all she had to do was maneuver them into corner and then strike. It was only then did they realize their foolishness. She began to walk away when the dead 'Naruto' became a log.

"What the…" she started. She was interrupted as she was kicked in the back of the head by Naruto. She was she forward several feet and rolled out of it. "How did you escape? You should have realized your defeat."

"I don't take things lying down," shouted Naruto. "I am the number one unpredictable shinobi of my village. I'm taking you down and that's a promise. I never go back on my word." Héng's face, which hadn't changed during the fight, finally did. She looked angry. No, she was pissed.

"Don't say things you can't back up child," she spat as she charged. She didn't slow down as Naruto made more clones. _This is getting old._ "Do you think you can just say things like that brat," she shouted as she slashed a clone. "Making promises (slash, slash, slash) are things only fools (slash, slash, slash) DO!" There was now only Naruto left. She ran right into him and plunged her sword into his gut with a smirk. That smirk ended as he went poof. "He was a…" she started but didn't finish. A rock below her that she hadn't noticed earlier also went poof and Naruto landed a powerful upper jaw strike.

Naruto looked at her as she started to get up. This was almost over.

"Earlier," began Naruto, "you said something about promises. What did you mean?" Héng finished getting up and glared at him.

"My father used to say the same time," she said. "He always told others that he never went back on his word. He told me that as long as you have faith, you could do anything. But, that was a lie. He promised he would stop the bandits from attacking our village. He died trying to keep his promise." Now there was a fire in her eyes. "Since then I have used my logic and my opponent's instincts to survive. Not because of faith or some stupid promise. My father died a fool and I will not follow his lead." She charged at Naruto once again with her blades raised, ready to strike.

"**Bikoutai: Kaiyou!**" shouted Naruto as his tail changed color and texture. The blades went right through him and didn't hurt him. Héng just froze. This broke all the rules that she knew. Naruto wasn't done. "**Bikoutai: Kai!**" Naruto's tail turned back to normal and he began to prepare his ultimate attack with both hands. "**Rasengan!**" The blue orb of chakra was rammed into her chest and she was blown away and only stopped when she hit a nearby wall.

_Why is he so strong? He is just a child with naive ideals. _Those were the last thoughts of Héng Wǔ before sleep claimed her.

Naruto looked over to where his partner was. Zanku was just finishing up the last one. Scratch that, he was done.

"Naruto-kun," yelled Mai. She and his clone were running over to them. "Where were you? When we couldn't find you at the hot spring I got worried." It was then that she noticed the condition Naruto was in. He had several cuts on his sides and some gash marks. His body was caked in dirt and sweat. "Kami, what happened to you?"

"Just a little run in with the Panda's," said Zanku as he walked over. "Naruto hugged the fuckin middle member all to himself and I got the shitty leftovers."

"I think I should give you Asahi," said the clone as it handed Naruto the baby. "My time is almost up." Naruto nodded and the clone went poof. Then, something unexpected happened. Naruto had new memories of the hot springs. Yuri came to mind. Then, he had a memory of Mai and…fainted as blood gushed out of his nose. Mai shrieked and Asahi just giggled as she began to slap Naruto's face. (well, baby slap)

"What happened," asked Zanku.

Yuri was walking away from Algol. She was wearing a Chinese style dress with a white tiger style design and some arm bracers. She could have taken them down, but why do that. They were too weak for someone like her. She'd just send two middle members after them. Let them have their fun for now. Tomorrow is a new day.

The Inoshishi-sennin was not in a good mood. His Assassins were gone. They had become fangirls. They had turned in their two weeks notice saying that they wanted to settle down with the love of their lives, the Kitsune-sennin!

"Sir," said a timid white skinned girl with yellow snake like eyes. "The new Kitsune-sennin stopped you men in Algol."

The Panda-sennin turned to face the snake girl. He had silver spiky hair. He was finely dressed in blue robes and had several rings on his hands. But the thing most people noticed were his eyes. They were a magnificent red that were like rubies. That was what his clan was known for, their gem like eyes that had a clarity like no other.

"And sir," she continued, "he knows your families clone jutsu."

Haha, how's that for an ending. It's all leading up to some big surprises.

Algol is the name of a star in the Perseus constellation. It means demon star.

Otekidan: Tail grenade

Meido no Seki: Gate to the Underworld

Bikoutai: Kaiyou: Tail Shift: Ocean


	6. Chapter 6

Before I begin, I want you all to know something. Yuri means lily, or at least that's what the site says.

Anyways, I want to address a few issues that have come up. One review said that Naruto was weak and naive. Well, to answer this, Naruto's personality hasn't changed. He is still the blond we all now and love. I also plan on building him up over time. I can't just give him kage level powers. That would make everything dull. Another thing I have gotten is people saying that he should give up on his dream of being Hokage. Let me say this, dreams die hard. It was that dream that got him through the hardest times in his life and has been what has driven him. He can't just wake up one day and say, "Screw my dream," and walk away from it. Don't worry, I got something planned. One last thing, if I say something is a bloodline, it's a bloodline. This is my story so please remember that.

* * *

Danzo stood on a balcony watching the Sound-nins under his control train. In about a year, they would be at the level of his former Root forces. And with the power of the cursed seals, they would be next to unstoppable.

Danzo could remember telling the Hokage the odds of the Sound winning against Akatsuki. At that time, he said that the Sound would lose, but not before taking out a large chuck of their enemies forces. Now, things were different. With both him and Orochimaru improving their forces they would win and still be strong. He would prove to those fools that he was right, that peace was foolish.

Tsunade looked up from her desk once again and groaned as more paperwork landed on her desk.

"Will it ever end," she cried.

"Sorry Hokage-sama," said one chunin. They bowed to her before they left.

In another part of the village, Kakashi was reading his dirty book as he walked down the street. Most people waved to him or shouted their thanks to him. To the majority, he was the student who finished what his sensei began. To others, he was a cold hearted bastard and a hypocrite. Asuma and Kurenai hadn't spoken to him since it happened. Hell, even Gai was avoiding him. Sakura glared at him whenever she saw him, angry that he didn't even show up to the wake. Ebisu only talked to him when he was ordered.

At first, it wasn't so bad. No Gai challenging him or putting up with cigarette smoke or stuff like that. But, slowly, he began to miss it. He began to feel alone. The people who he knew best refused to recognize him anymore. He had become scum in their eyes.

He stopped when he reached his destination, the Memorial Stone. His eye fell on the names of his father, Obito, Rin, and his sensei. For a second, he started to look for Naruto's name until he remembered. Naruto's name was never placed on it.

Memories came back to him. His fathers shame of failing his mission just to save the lives of his comrades. Obito telling him that those who abandon theirs comrades were less than thrash. Rin, who had died while on patrol, just before she sent out the warming the Kyuubi was coming. The Yondaime, his sensei, who gave up his life to save the village. Each one cared for their comrades more than anything else. But why? He followed the rules and that's what has gotten him to the point he was at today. If his father had just followed the rules and done what he was supposed to, his mission would have been a success and the war might have ended sooner. If Obito had just followed the rules, he could have lived. If Rin hadn't tried to save the others in patrol, she to could have lived.

He tried to remember them by telling others what they believed in. Or, that's what he told others. The second part of his test, in truth, was so that he wouldn't have a genin team. He didn't want to be a genin sensei, never did. The only reason he passed them was not because they proved they cared, it was because Sasuke was there. In his eyes, Sakura and Naruto should have quitted the program. They had no talent and he didn't want to train them. The chunin exam was supposed to crush their spirit so that they would quit.

Now, he was paying the price for his selfishness.

"Hello Kakashi-senpai," said Yugao as she walked up to the stone. She had a rose in her hand.

"Hello Yugao," replied Kakashi. "What's new?"

"Nothing much," she answered. "I'm thinking of becoming a jonin sensei next year. Try to help the next generation, ya know?"

"No," said Kakashi. "I don't."

Back in the Celestial Dynasties…

"Recall all of our forces," yelled the Panda-sennin. "We need to begin recruiting as many new members as possible."

"Sir, what should we do about the Kitsune-sennin," asked his number two, Shinja.

"We will deal with him in three years," replied her master. "He may now the Kage Bunshin, but he can't know the _special_ secrets of the jutsu. In any case, we will let the other two sennins waste their forces on him. They will be weakened and then, we will strike."

Yuri Genshirin was sitting in front of a slot machine, trying to win. Sadly the family gambling curse was still strong. Sure, she would steal back her losses, but she _had_ to win sooner or later. Right?

"Tora-sama," said her right hand man, Yokaze. Unknown to them, Orochimaru had made Zaku to mimic his clans' abilities. Sadly, there is nothing that can compare to an original. He wore a white tiger colored vest and matching baggy pants. His hair was a curly red and his eyes were a light green color.

"What is it Yokaze," said Yuri as she got up.

"The two you asked for have been sent and will strike as soon as they get the chance," he said. "If I may ask, why not send a higher member?"

"It would be a waste of power," she replied as she began to walk out. "Besides these two will finish him off without touching him. You see they…OH MY KAMI THAT'S SO KAWAII!" She then ran up to the stuffed animal section and stared at one of them.

Yokaze sighed. It was one of her weakness. Gambling, sake, and animals that looked cute. _Why are all they really strong people crazy?_

Naruto and his friends woke up a few days later to find they were surrounded. Ever since the fight against Héng, the group had decided to camp out to avoid property damage and so that they would be harder to find. Now, they had realized a small problem, they were easier to surround. Naruto and Zanku exited the tent while leaving a shadow clone and the girls in the tent. A group of ten masked figures had surrounded the tent.

"Only ten," said Zanku with a yawn. "It should make a nice warm up."

"Something looks familiar about these guys," said Naruto as he tensed up. Their clothing resembled Haku's hunter-nin uniform. One of them moved towards them in a slow manner. As he moved closer, Naruto's eyes grew wide.

"Naruto Uzumaki," said the Leaf hunter-nin. "By the order of the Hokage, we are ordered to return you to the village. I suggest you don't resist." He turned to another member of the group. "Grab the other three, they are coming with us." The nine, in a flash, had grabbed Mai, Zanku, and a crying Asahi.

"Hey," shouted Naruto. "Leave them alone. They aren't part of the village and they haven't done anything…" He was cut off as one of the hunter-nins hit a pressure point on his neck causing his to fall into a deep sleep.

Naruto woke up several hours later to find himself rocking back and forth. Quickly regaining his thoughts on what happened he realized that he was in a cell on a ship. Zanku was cursing up a storm and Mai had curdled into a ball. Asahi was no where to be seen but he could here her crying.

"Sorry about this," was all Naruto could say.

"Damn it, why the hell were we grabbed," yelled Zanku.

"I-I don't know," said Naruto. "I don't even know how they figured out where I was. I'm in the dark as much as you two."

"Naruto-kun," said Mai. "What's going to happen now?"

Naruto's silence was their only answer.

Time passed slowly on the ship. Eventually, Asahi was given back to Naruto because they couldn't get her to stop crying. They were feed once a day for about a week. They never spoke to the crew or anything else. Naruto and his friends tried to pass the time by talking about things that were of a more pleasant nature. When the week ended, the hunter-nin came down and told them that they had arrived in Fire Country and knocked them out again.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU," shouted a familiar voice that woke Naruto up. "I TOLD YOU TO BRING HIM BACK, NOT KIDDNAP INNOCENT CIVILIANS!"

"But Tsunade-sama," began the head hunter-nin. At this Naruto shot up out of the couch he was laying on. He found himself in the Hokage's office. In the room were Tsunade and the hunter-nin that had ordered the kidnapping of his friends. They were now both facing him.

"Obaa-san," he said in a weak voice. Before he could say anything else, Tsunade rushed over to him and gave him a great big hug. Naruto could feel the tears pouring out of her eyes. Then she let go and hit him upside the head.

"Don't call me that," she yelled. She then hit him again. "That's for making me worry."

"Sorry," said Naruto. Then he remembered Zanku, Mai, and Asahi. He turned to the hunter-nin. "Where are my friends you bastard?"

"Don't worry Naruto," said Tsunade as she held on to his shoulders. "Their fine, trust me. Now, I want you to tell me everything that has happened since your fight with Sasuke." Naruto gave her a nod and told her everything. He told her how the fox gave up its life to save his and the powers that he got. He told them about the people who lived there. He told her about the bandit gangs and the sennins who controlled them.

"We have to do something," said Naruto at the end. "Those people need help or at least some way to defend themselves."

"Naruto," said the older woman in a business like tone. "Please consider what you are saying. You are asking me to send shinobi to a different continent to fight people who are near kage level. Also, what if the other nations get word of this, what will happen then?"

"But, obaa-san, we have to do something," he pleaded. Tsunade just rubbed her temples.

"I'll think about it," she said. "Now, report to the hospital for a full check up. I want to make sure you are all right. I'll have someone escort your friends while you are being examined by Shizune." Naruto nodded and left.

It was as he expected. People stared at him and muttered things behind his back as he walked to the hospital. It was the same in the hospital. People stared at him and avoided him unless they had no choice. Shizune, on the other hand, was happy to see him. She did a quick check up on him while asking him all sorts of questions. What was it like? Was he scared? How was the food? These questions continued until Naruto's ears twitched at a familiar sound.

"I think my friends are here," said Naruto. Shizune gave him a questioning look.

"Which ones and how can you tell," she asked. Then she heard a babies cry. A moment later Mai walked in with the others and handed him Asahi.

"This is really getting old," she said. Naruto scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry about this. Oh, guys this is Shizune-neesan. Neesan, this is Mai-chan, Zanku, and this Asahi," he said as he pointed to the older two and held up the youngest. Mai blushed when Naruto added the chan suffix to her name.

"It's nice to meet you all," said Shizune. "Naruto, you can go now."

He gave her a nod and then headed out the door. As soon as they were out of the hospital, he asked where they were. Mai told him that they were taken to a cell and questioned. Apparently, the hunter-nins had brought them back for information and to help rebuild the Uchiha clan.

"I couldn't believe it," said Mai as they walked down a street. "They want me to marry this Sasuke and help rebuild the clan. Who do they think they are anyways?"

"The fuckers questioned me on information about Celestial," complained Zanku. "Now, how the fuck are we going to get home?"

"Well," said Naruto, "I asked Tsunade-obaasan to help with the problems back in Celestial. If she agrees, I'm sure that she'll let you both go back."

"NARUTO-KUN," came a loud voice from behind them. Naruto began to chant a sutra that sounded like 'please not him'. A moment later Naruto began to curse Kami as he was standing face to face with Lee in all of his spandex glory/horror. "I see you are back. The flames of youth truly shine bright in you. YOSH!" Mai quickly hide behind Naruto.

"Naruto-kun, who is he," she asked quietly. "And are those eyebrows real?"

"Ya, who is this shithead," asked Zanku.

"Rock Lee and sadly yes," he answered.

"Naruto-kun, I see you have made some changes to your appearance since we last meet," said Lee.

"Long story," said Naruto. "Fuzzy-brows, I'm a bit busy right now. Perhaps we could meet again later?" _Like say, when you lose the spandex and do something about those eyebrows?_

"I see," said Lee. "I am sorry for interrupting you. I will be on my way. YOSH!" With that, Lee sped away.

Later that night, the Hokage called the village for an announcement. Everyone gathered in front of the tower to hear what she had to say.

"I am glad you are all here," she said. "I have good news! A couple of months ago, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha fought each other at the Valley of the End. In that fight, Naruto was able to keep Sasuke from going to Orochimaru. Something else happened that day. That day, Kyuubi no Kitsune perished." The crowd became restless.

"How can that be," shouted one of them. "The Kyuubi brat is still here?"

"You're a liar," shouted another.

"Listen," yelled Tsunade. "In order to keep its pride intact, Kyuubi saved Naruto's life by giving up its own. With that, Naruto gained a powerful bloodline limit. I have checked the seal and it is gone. Kyuubi's chakra could not be found. Kyuubi is dead.

"Now, before you all going praising Sasuke I want you all to take a moment and realize something. Naruto is still the same person he was when he left. He was only the jailor for the Kyuubi and now he is free of the burden that was placed on him. Now, I want you all to explain to your children and the rest of the younger generation why he was treated the way he was."

Everyone was silent and had their heads down. They had a look of shame on their faces. Some were even crying.

In the real world, Akumu and Mugen were putting more charka into the seal that surrounded the tent. They were the Dream Brothers of the Tora. As long as the seal remained in place and/or the victims didn't wake up, they would be stuck in a dream world that they would never want to leave. In a few days, they would die from dehydration. This was their strategy. Unknown to them, four women were staring at them with heated gazes.

"Dreams," asked Yokaze. "I'm not sure I understand."

"The Dream Brothers are seal experts," said Yuri with a grin. "Years ago they created a seal which sends all those who are in the seal into a dream world based on a personals memories and knowledge. The longer a person or persons are in it, the better it gets. The only problem is that it can only create one dream world and if there are more people in the seal, they all have to go to the same place. In a couple of days, they will be dead."

"Why not simply send people to fight them and kill them," asked Yokaze. "I mean, surely, such elaborate means isn't necessary."

"True," said Yuri. "I could have sent people to fight him. However, there is the chance that they could lose. What makes this plan so much better is because he has to fight his own desires. He may act noble but he is still human. He has desires just like the rest of us and he will give in to them and perish."

The next day in the dream world, Naruto was now walking with Mai and Zanku (and a clone holding Asahi) to meet up with the rookie nine. They were all meeting up at team 7's training ground for a picnic. Along the way, Naruto noticed that few people were glaring at them. In fact, he was getting smiles from many of the people who used to shun him. Once they got there, they saw them plus team Gai. They were all sitting on a large blanket chatting with each other until they saw Naruto and his new friends come by.

"Naruto," shouted Sakura when she saw him. She then got up, ran over to him, and hugged him. A moment later, she let go. "We were so worried about you. I'm glad to see you're alright."

"Naruto-kun," said another, quieter, voice. Naruto turned his head to see Hinata blushing madly and then remembered _part_ of the reason she did that. Before either one could say anything, Asahi began to fuss a bit causing everyone's attention to turn to her. "Naruto-kun, i-is that y-you…"

"Baby," finished Lee. "It seems as though Naruto-kun has done some unyouthful things while he was away." At this, Hinata fainted.

"I wasn't gone for two years," said Naruto as his eyebrow twitched. He then went on to explain how he found her. "I just couldn't leave her there," he finished.

"I see," said Neji. "Don't worry. I was informed that the cage bird seal is to be removed and the old ways abolished. You do not have to fear for her." Naruto blinked at this. Since when did the Hyuga clan start throwing away old traditions.

Meanwhile with Zanku, he was getting to know Ino and Tenten a bit better.

"Hello ladies," he said. "Let's leave this shit area and find some fun." The girls giggled.

"Sure," said Ino as she got up and latched around his arm.

"I'd love to," said Tenten as she latched on to his other arm.

"I think I'll like this fuckin place," said Zanku as Ino began to undo his bandages so she could feed him some rice balls. _Hmmm_, he thought after eating the first one._ This tastes like ramen._

Mai began to talk to Sasuke. Apparently the village was pushing them together so that they could rebuild the Uchiha clan. Sadly, the odds of that happening with him were next to nothing. The reason for that was he was a condescending jerk.

"How can you call yourself an Uchiha when you act the way you do," he said in his I'm so superior voice. "Where is your dignity? We of the Uchiha…" he was then cut off as Mai kicked him in the balls.

"Kami," she said as she watched him fall to the ground. "You are so annoying and stuck up. Besides, I happen to like someone else."

After a few minutes of watching Sasuke pull himself up, Kakashi and the other jonin-sensei's appeared.

"Sorry we're late," said Kakashi. "We had to stop and help an old lady cross the street."

"LAIR," shouted both Naruto and Sakura.

"Anyways," said Kakashi, ignoring the angry glares from his students. "Naruto, tomorrow I want you to meet me for some special training."

"Really," asked Naruto. This was very unusual since Kakashi only trained Sasuke. Kakashi gave him an eye smile and tossed him a scroll.

"I want that read by the time you get to the training field tomorrow," he said. Naruto opened the scroll and gasped when he read the title. It was the Chidori! His excitement soon faded as he looked down. Nothing made sense. Numbers and words were mixed together and formed meaningless garbage. He was about to say something when Sakura spoke up.

"Naruto-kun," she yelled. Naruto's eyes widened. _Did she just call me Naruto-kun?_ Mai had tick marks on her face.

"Sakura-chan what's the matter," he asked.

"I was wondering if you would like to go on a date," asked Sakura in a shy voice. Before Naruto could say anything, she continued. "After that, we can help Haku-san move into his new apartment. I mean, can you believe that he's moving here. Naruto-kun, what's wrong?" Naruto's head was now facing the ground. When he raised it, everyone could see the anger in his eyes.

"I don't know what's going on," he said as he formed a Rasengan. "But, THIS ENDS NOW!" With that, Naruto shoved the chakra sphere into Sakura. When it hit her, she vanished in a puff of smoke. Everything except Naruto, Mai, Zanku, and Asahi froze.

"It seems they have figured it out," said a voice. It came from all directions.

"So they have," said a different voice that also came from all directions.

"Who are you," yelled Zanku.

"I am Akumu."

"I am Mugen. My I ask how you figured this out. When people are in here, no one ever questions it or get suspicious. You have been the first."

"You screwed up big time," said Naruto with an angry look on his face. "There are a lot of little things that are different. Some of the more noticeable ones are that Kakashi-sensei NEVER says he'll help train me and Sakura would never just give up on Sasuke for no reason. But the biggest mistake was Haku. He's dead!"

"It was what he wished for," said Mugen. "To bring Haku to the village was a dream of his. We simply lacked the knowledge that he was dead."

"What do you wish," asked Akumu.

"What are your desires," asked Mugen.

"We want this to end," shouted Mai.

"Listen to that brother," said Akumu. "They are so ungrateful. Here, they can have everything they want in this dream world."

"So ungrateful," agreed Mugen. "Why would anyone want to leave paradise? Zanku, you could have everything you want. Money and women are yours for the taking. Mai Uchiha, you could be as close to the one you love always." Mai's face turned beet red. "And let's not forget the Kitsune-sennin."

"All your life you have been mistreated by the real world," said Akumu. "You have suffered and struggled. Now, you have a chance for all of that to simply go away. Just stay here. Stay here and have all of your dreams given to you. Stay here and live the live you always wanted. Or maybe you want to relive your life. Have the mother you always wanted. Never have to experience the pains of hunger and rejection of society. All you have to do is ask."

"I get it," said Naruto. "Everything I want, I can get for nothing. Pity that's not the kind of person I am. Now let us…" Naruto was about to start yelling when he heard other peoples voices. They sounded very familiar.

"Let go of our Naruto-kun," shouted the voice of Resshin.

"Hey who are you," shouted Mugen.

"Hey, what happens if I do this," said the voice of Aori. More shouting and yelling followed. While this was going on, Zanku looked over at Naruto and sighed.

"I'd give anything to have that power," he said. "It's a chick magnet bloodline."

Only a few minutes later, the world seemed to break apart. It was as if it was made of glass and someone had used a hammer to break it. The pieces fell down into a black nothingness and soon Naruto and company followed.

The next thing Naruto knew was that he was opening his eyes. He was back in his text in the Celestial Dynasties. Naruto was about to chalk it up as a dream when he heard the Hyuga girls yelling at two other people that sounded like Mugen and Akumu. He quickly got out of his tent and saw that the four sisters were yelling at two oddly dressed men who looked like stick figures.

"So," said Naruto as he walked over to them, getting their attention. "Do you have any last words?"

"How," asked Akumu. "How could deny what you wanted? Those were the things that your heart yearned for."

"It's true," said Naruto when he stopped in front of the two brothers. "Everyone has wants and desires. The things we work for and try our hardest to get. However, I have lived a darker life than most and know that good things don't just start happening. They are things you _make_ happen." With that, the beating began.

A few hours later, Naruto and company were back on the trail. They had been out for about a day and a half. They had decided to give the Dream Brothers to the Hyuga sisters as a way of saying thanks. It also meant that they would have to leave them to turn in the two fools. Zanku then noticed that Mai was a little down. He smirked as he came up with an idea.

"Hey clone," he barked. "Move your ass faster." He got behind the Naruto clone and began to lightly push him away from Naruto and Mai. Mai saw this and silently hank her foul mouthed friend.

"So," said Mai once they were alone. "You and Sakura were close?"

"We were just teammates," said Naruto. "I wanted to be something more, but it never happened."

"I see," she Mai. "So, do you have someone waiting back home for you? I mean a girlfriend?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"It's just that I…" she stopped there. She was afraid to say it. Afraid to say the way she felt about Naruto. Mugen had spoken the truth; she wanted to spend as much time with Naruto as possible because she was in love with him. The more time they spent together the shyer she became around him.

"We better hurry up," said Naruto suddenly. "I think your boyfriend is getting jealous."

"What?"

"Zanku," replied Naruto. "Wait, am I wrong? I thought you two had a thing going on."

"What made you think that?"

"Well, in the dream world you said you already liked someone. Then Mugen said that there you could always be with that person. I just figured it was him because, well, I have seen you two talk privately a couple of time and stuff like that."

"NO," shouted Mai. "We are just friends. Personally, I hate the way he swears so much. Also, he's not my type. The person I like…is you."

Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I wanted to try something different instead of an all out fight. Anyways, I have only one vote saying that I should do the second movie. I'll wait a little longer for more votes. If I do this, then after the movie chapter I will do a time skip. If I don't do the movie, I go right to the time skip.

On a different note, please review.


	7. Chapter 7

Why am I not getting more reviews? I was hoping that by now I would have had at least 260. Such is life I guess. I will admit that my last chapter wasn't my best. Before writing that I saw a bunch of dream related movies and T.V. shows. A Batman episode were Batman was stuck in a dream world that gave him the perfect life. The entire Nightmare on Elm Street collection including Freddy vs. Jason. What? I couldn't sleep so sue me. You get the idea, right? Well after all that I got the idea stuck in my head. The original plan was for Naruto to fight one guy and Zanku to fight the other. Hopefully this next chapter will get more reviews.

The second movie idea was outvoted by one vote. For a while I was thinking of tossing a coin to declare the winner but at the last moment there was a vote that said no to the second movie. But you don't care about that now do you. I hope you are reading this because this is very important. This is a three year time skip, not two and a half. Naruto and the rest of the rookie nine are now 16. There are other differences as well. But why let me tell you'll everything. You want to read the story. So, get reading.

* * *

It was the three year anniversary of the death of Naruto Uzumaki. Some would think that everyone in the Leaf village would have forgotten him but it was just the opposite. On the anniversary day of the failed mission to retrieve Sasuke they would hold a huge party. They would drink and dance in the street until the sun came up. Some would make a journey to the Wave village were his memorial was and deface it. Some of the people who actual knew Naruto would just shake their heads and were glad Naruto couldn't see this.

Tsunade was glad she couldn't see it as well. She was making her way to the Sand village on a small diplomatic mission. Personally, she didn't see what the fuss was about but the council and a certain clan wouldn't leave her alone until she did something. They 'asked' her to try and see it from their point of view. She knew they only cared about themselves and, if they had their way, would send the village into a war.

_Stupid fools_, she thought as she neared the gates of the Sand village. _I don't have time for this. Sasuke and the Akatsuki are my main concern. I bet they are hoping I'll die of sunstroke or something. Why did I ever take this stupid job? At least this gets me out of paperwork._

"Papers," asked the guard at the gate. Tsunade handed them to the man. He looked over them and then handed them back to her. "Sorry for the inconvenience Hokage-sama. Rules are rules and all that. I will inform the Kazekage of your arrival."

"Thank you," replied Tsunade. "I will be there shortly." The guard signaled another shinobi to head to the Kazekages office as Tsunade walked by. She slowly made her way to the temple of the Kazekage, taking in the sights as she went. Not much to see, but after a few days in the desert, everything seems better. About twenty minutes later, she was knocking on the door to the office of the Kazekage.

"Come in," said Gaara. He smiled as Tsunade entered his office. "It's good to see you again Tsunade-sama." With that, he walked over to her and gave her a hug. In the last few years the two of them had become close like a nephew and aunt. Their jobs made it very easy to keep in touch and when they got together they would talk about things that weren't village related. For example, Tsunade taught Gaara the art of gambling and, as expected, lost 30 thousand ryo to him.

"Good to see you as well," she said as she returned the hug. After a few moments alone they let go of each other and started to get to business. Gaara took his seat behind his desk and Tsunade in front of it.

Over the course of three years, Gaara had changed greatly. He had grown and wore a red trench coat and red pants under his kage robes. His gourd was nearby as always. But a physical change wasn't the only thing that was different. He was happier. He would make small jokes every once and a while and didn't try to kill people for pissing him off. He had become very popular among the females of the village to a degree that rivaled Sasuke's fangirls back when he was still in the village. In short, his life was good.

"Now to business," he said with a sad sigh. "They are giving you trouble because of me."

"You have no idea," replied the Hokage. "I can only imagine the problems you have been faced with."

"We manage," said a new voice in the voice. Tsunade turned around and smiled at the new comer in the room.

"Hello Hinata Hyuga," said Tsunade as the Hyuga girl walked up to her and took a seat next to her. "Has it been difficult?"

"Fangirls are scary," replied Hinata. "I can't believe all of the death threats I have been given. They seem to be under the impression that if they kill me then Gaara-kun will like them more."

Yes, it was official. Hinata and Gaara had been dating for a while now. In fact, Hinata had asked for a transfer about six months ago to the Sand village and Tsunade accepted. She left right away before her father or the Hyuga elders found out. That was what the problem was. The elders wanted Hinata back in the Leaf village for fear that she would conceive a child with the Hyuga bloodline limit. Some just wanted her back so that they could place the bird cage seal on her and then kick her out of the clan. However, dating the Kazekage had its advantages. Since she was now one of his shinobi and his girlfriend they couldn't forcibly remove her without risking war. For some odd reason (sarcasm there) they didn't care.

Hiashi had a different reason for wanting his daughter back. After Naruto's wake, he had decided to become a better person as well as a better father. The first thing he did was try to mend the broken bound with his elder daughter. Things were going great. She had stopped stuttering and had improved in her style. While he didn't hate Gaara, he wasn't ready to let go of Hinata so soon. She was only 16 and was too young, in his opinion, to leave the village to get closer to some boy.

Hinata had also changed. She was now wearing standard chunin attire for the Sand village. Her hair was longer and her chest…was noticeable bigger. Her relationship with Gaara had done wonders for her personality. It started off as being pin pals. They would write to each other about things that were going on and giving each other advice on how to improve. Sure their families helped, but having someone with similar problems helped.

"Well I'm happy to hear that you both are doing fine," she said with a smile. "Well the walk over her gave me an idea to shut those fools up."

"What is it Tsunade-sama," asked Gaara.

"How do you both feel about being engaged," she asked them. Hinata nearly fainted and Gaara's face matched his hair.

"T-Tsunade-sama," cried Hinata. "I think it's too soon for that!"

"I agree," said a blushing Gaara. "This isn't something that should be rushed into."

"Please," said Tsunade. "It's just a fake engagement. This will by us time until you are ready, unless something goes wrong. Anyways, if they ask me how serious it is, I'll just tell them I saw the two of you doing it in this office when I got her." Now Hinata really did faint and Gaara was trying to hide his bloody nose.

"On a different note," she continued. "Has there been any trouble with Akatsuki?"

"Not a peep," said Gaara as he calmed down and got serious again. "As soon as the war between them and Sound began, all their agents left the village. We know this because they all left at the same time the battle with Sound began. No one has come to seek the beast inside of me."

"That's good," said Tsunade. She looked at the sleeping Hyuga girl. "I hope this lasts."

"It looks doubtful," said Gaara. "As you know, as soon as Sasuke took over Sound he made a claim the Uchiha clan would take their rightful place in the world. I fear that if he wins he will start another great war to prove his superiority."

"The situation is equally bad if Akatsuki wins," said Tsunade. "They will pick up were they left off. Most likely they will first build up their forces again and then go after the other tailed beasts. The pervert still doesn't have a clue where their base is."

Both Hokage and Kazekage grew silent. Right now two evil forces were fighting each other for dominance. One side was led by a teen that half the village would welcome back with open arms and the other would only be a little hesitant before following the example of the other side. The other side was made up of the worst criminals alive to date. One thing was sure, one side would fall and they would know the face of the enemy they would have to fight.

In the Celestial Dynasties:

Akujin Henran walked through a small town in the Milky Way Dynasty. He has a seven foot tall man with no hair and a patch on one eye. He wore a brown vest with a silver boar on his back and blank pants with holes on both his knees. War hammers were tied to both of his wrists by leather straps. He was looking for his target, the Kitsune-sennin.

Over the course of the last three years he had become a living legend. People knew very little about him. He walked from village to village in a small group helping out villagers who were under attack from bandits and other problems. He would turn in the bounty on the people he stopped and then would help fix up the town and provide any aid he could. Some people say he could control plants while others would say he could fly and others said he could teleport. The only thing that matter to Akujin was what he looked like. He had a tail, blond hair, whisker marks, and blue eyes. He imagined a man of at least 25 and incredible build to cause this much problems. Hell, all of the sennins were offering up a huge bounty on him and if Akujin could get him first he could retire and his children (if he had any) would never have to work a day of their lives. Ya, that much.

"You are defeated Kitsune-sennin," yelled a voice. Akujin turned around towards the voice and saw some kids playing. If he had to guess, they ranged from about 5 to 7 years old. The one who was playing the part of the Kitsune-sennin had on fake ears and a phony tail taped to his butt. There were there other kids ganging up on him.

"No," said the play Kitsune-sennin. "It is you who are defeated." He then began to do some play punches and kicks and the other kids fell down.

Akujin sighed and decided to continue walking. Scenes like that were becoming common. The parents would always speak highly of the sennin and the children would follow by their parent's example. Soon, they began to emulate him by playing these games.

Continuing his search for the Kitsune-sennin he entered the best place to gather information and a drink at the same time, a bar. The bar was noisy and had several people that were doing various things. Next to a radio was a red headed man wearing bandages around his face. He wore a black sleeveless sweatshirt with a hood and matching sweatpants. He was swearing, continuously, as he tried to change the station. There were several people playing games of pool, however there was a large group of people watching one game in particular. The match was against a guy who looked like a pool shark (shark part is literal) and a young girl. She wore a blue Chinese style dress with a dragon on it that seemed to be modified so that she could move around easier. Her black hair seemed to touch her shoulders. She seemed to be winning.

"Hey buddy, put your weapons away." Akujin was snapped out of his observations by the bartender. ? "Put them with the others or get out," he said as he pointed to a space next to the door. There were daggers, swords, a giant zanbato, and chains all pile up. Not wanting to cause a scene, or at least not yet, he complied and put his weapons with the rest. He then took a seat at the bar and ordered a drink.

Sitting next to him was a man in a white trench coat. The coat was buttoned from his waist up and on the back was the yin-yang symbol with a fox head under it and its tail circling the yin-yang symbol. He seamed to wear dark blue pants and on his head was a white cowboy hat with a four inch rim. The hat seemed to cast a shadow over his face.

"Bartender," said the unknown person. "I'd like another water."

"Would you order something else," said the bartender as get got out a pitcher and refilled the glass.

"What's the matter," said Akujin with a smirk. "Why not have something stronger. Bartender, I'll have whisky."

"I have no tolerance," he replied as he sipped his water. He had a young voice that sounded like he was a teen. "Besides, I can't afford to let my senses dull for a moment."

"You a bounty hunter," asked Akujin. "If you are, then I would like to make a proposition." At that moment a little girl who looked no more than four years old entered the bar. Judging by her eyes she was a Hyuga. She had long black hair and was wearing a white kimono with a fall leaf pattern on it.

"Niisan," she said to the trench coated man. "Will you _please_ teach me a cool jutsu?" He turned around and looked at her.

"I'm sorry Asahi," he said. "The cooler jutsus that I know require much more chakra than you have. Just keep working on the leaf exercise for now. Trust me; it'll pay off when I teach you the bigger stuff."

"But it's _boring_," she whined.

"Alright," he said. "When you finish the leaf exercise then I'll show you how to walk on wall and stuff. When you are done with that, I'll teach you how to walk on water."

"Really?"

"Have I ever lied to you," he said. Asahi jumped up and gave her brother a hug. Then she jumped down, yelled thanks, and ran out the door.

"Nice kid," smirked Akujin. "Now, anyways about my offer. I have a plan to take down the Kitsune-sennin. You interested?"

"Maybe. What's the plan?"

"I have my boy's coming into town in a few hours. They are going to fight the Kitsune and wear him down. They are lower members so it doesn't matter that much. Anyways, after that fight I plan on taking him on. But, it would help if I had a hand. All we need to do is find him first so I can tell my boys that he's here. When we win, I'll give you 30 percent. Now, doesn't that sound fair?"

"That's an interesting plan. If fact, that sounds better than the last two plans that I heard," said Naruto as he took off his hat revealing his blond hair and fox ears. He then turned to face Akujin. He could now see the whisker marks and his blue eyes. "So you another higher member?"

"Y-You're the Kitsune-sennin? But you're just a kid!"

"Yep. You know, you are the fifth higher member this month. So, how about we just get to the fighting. I'll take care of the lower members after I'm finished with you," said Naruto with a smile.

"You think it'll be that easy," growled Akujin.

"I don't know. From the way you were talking makes me think that you are super weak and need other to give you a hand." Naruto then got up and moved to the door. As he walked out he asked if Akujin was coming. After picking up his weapons Akujin followed Naruto out of the bar and then out of town. Once they were a good distance away Naruto stopped and turned around to face his latest opponent.

"I don't know how you beat those others but I'll be the one to take your head," said Akujin as he got into a fighting position. In each hand he had his war hammers. "You see these? Each one weighs about 50 pounds and I keep them on me at all times. To me, they are as light as a feather." He saw Naruto raise an eyebrow.

"Wow, 50 pounds. Well, that sounds…heavy." Naruto said this in a mocking tone. This got the effect Naruto was hoping for. Akujin became pissed.

"Mock me will you!" With that he charged at the blond and swung his left hammer at Naruto. Naruto raised his right arm and blocked it, the sound of metal hitting metal filler the air. Akujin was shocked for a moment and then swung his right hammer at Naruto who blocked it with his left arm. Once again, the sound of metal hitting metal was heard. Akujin jumped back and began to think of a new plan and what had just happened.

Naruto smirked and then pulled up his sleeve. Akujin's eyes widened when he saw the weight bands around Naruto's arm. They looked similar to Lee's weights that he had on his legs. Each weight band weighed about 175 pounds. He was also wearing a weight vest that was double that. He had found out that the earth tail simply increased his physical strength using his current level as a base. In other words, the stronger he became without the tail the stronger the tail became. Naruto pulled up his sleeve and got into his fighting position.

Suddenly, Naruto was in front of Akujin and landed a punch in his gut. The sound of breaking bones could be heard as he flew back. Akujin slowly got up and coughed up some blood.

"You are done," said Naruto. "The punch I gave you was at half of the normal level. If you promise to turn yourself over to the authorities I'll ask Mai-chan to heal you. Or, you can choose to continue fighting and suffer serious injuries."

"Screw you," he said as he slammed his hammers into the earth. "**Doton: Jinkoujishin no Jutsu!**" The earth began to split in the direction of Naruto who dodge it. "Not so cocky now, are you? I'll send you to hell myself! **Doton: Jinkoujishin no Jutsu!**" Once again Naruto dodged the attack. This one happened a bit faster than the last one.

"Guess I have to finish this," said Naruto as he went into some hand signs. "**Raiton: Raikouago no Jutsu!**" A set shape of a foxes jaw made of electricity appeared in front of Naruto and shot towards Akujin. When it reached him, the jaws closed on him and sent a powerful electric shock into his body. Akujin screamed in pain and then fell to the ground as smoke rose from his body. Naruto put his hands in his coat pockets and walked away. He had a few more things to do.

About twenty minutes later he found the lower members. He was lying on his stomach as he looked at the 50 lower members that had made camp near the village.

"Wow, 50 fuckin lower members just for you," said Zanku who had appeared next to him. Naruto smirked.

"Please go easy on them Naruto-kun," said Mai as laid down get to him.

"I would have thought you would want me to make this as quick as possible," said Naruto with a smirk. "After all, we have a date tonight. Just you, me, and a ramen free meal. Maybe some candles."

"That sounds lovely," said Mai as she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "But remember I'm the one who has to heal them when your done. We're the good guys so we can't just leave them with broken bones and such after we put them behind bars."

"Softy," muttered Zanku as he rolled his eyes at the love birds.

It had take Naruto about two weeks to come to terms when Mai had told him that she loved him. During that time Naruto had become distant from them. It was because he didn't know how to handle this and he didn't know what would happen if something happened like if they broke up. The feeling he had for her were also different than the ones he had for Sakura. With Sakura, he always had to try to be something he wasn't. He always had to find some way to impress her and when it failed he got hit on the head. When he was with Mai, he felt safe and that he could be himself without trying to impress her. In the end, he had a talk with Zanku who helped put this in perspective with much, much swearing.

"Come on Naruto-niisan," yelled Asahi who was jumping up and down behind them. "Kick their asses! You can do it!" Sadly, her yelling caught the attention of the lower Inoshishi member. The three teens sweat dropped.

"I told you not to swear around her," hissed Naruto to Zanku.

"I can't help it. It's shity genetic thing," he replied.

Naruto just sighed as he got up. "**Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**" Suddenly, 2000 clones appeared behind him. He then did a henge that turned half his face blue and the other white. Naruto then walked over to the side of the hill and soon his clones followed. The bandits were shaking in the boots. Naruto decided to use the finishing touch. He raised his hand and all his clones scream out at once. That did it. All of the lower members fell to the ground and put their hands over their heads as a sign that they gave up.

"This has to be fucking copy righted," said Zanku as he and the others walked down to tie them up.

This chapter is mostly a catch up. Sets the scene and stuff. More action to come!

Next time will be a trip to the beach. Also, whats going on with Sasuke and Neji pops the question to Tenten.

You will review now. You want to do it so badly! DO IT!

Translations:

Doton: Jinkoujishin no Jutsu: Earth Style: Artificial Earthquake Jutsu

Raiton: Raikouago no Jutsu: Lightning Style: Lightning Jaw Jutsu


	8. Chapter 8

I want to thank everyone for all of the reviews. Most of them were comments about the ending. I just figured it would be funny as hell. It was that or a mass harem jutsu, but something inside of me said that Mai would have been VERY angry. Maybe I should have gone with that. Oh well, water under the bridge.

Now for some other comments and questions that people have been asking me. I don't plan on Naruto returning to elemental for a while so please be patient. I know it's hard. Believe me I know how the story ends and I can't wait to get to that point. I just want to build up Naruto and his friends until they are ready and a few more characters (one in particular) come into play. Don't worry; just let me write the story to the best of my abilities and all will be revealed. Before the final conflict with the other sennins will occur, Naruto must defeat their number two's, discover the secret of his clan, face one on one battles with each of the sennin, and then and only then will the final conflict take place.

Hope you are all ready for another interesting chapter.

* * *

Sasuke glared at Kabuto in utter frustration. Since he had done away with Orochimaru, he had taken the title as the Nidaime Otokage. However, things weren't going as fast as he wanted. Itachi was still hard to find and his organization was still attacking. Other things were going wrong inside the Sound village. People coming to his with pointless requests and stupid questions. And the paper work made him want to kill even more. Now Kabuto was trying to talk him out of his latest plan.

"You can let those prisoners go," insisted the medical-nin. "They are all very dangerous and there is no guarantee that they will follow you. Please leave them in the Northern Compound."

"No," said Sasuke in a cold voice from behind his desk. "We need them and the power of the cursed seal. You will bring them here and they will become our villages' newest members that will fight on our side. You will also bring me Jugo, Karin, and Suigetsu Hozuki. They will be my new elite team thanks to their special abilities. Now go or I will kill you."

As Sasuke watched Kabuto leave, he began to go over his plan again in his head. In order for him to defeat Itachi he would need that Mangekyo Sharingan. According to his brother he needed to kill his best friend to obtain it. But, when he killed Naruto, nothing happened. Over the last three years he wondered why that didn't happen until he came to the only logical conclusion. Naruto wasn't his best friend. Someone else had to be his best friend. So, he would then have to find out who it was and kill him or her. Thus, he would start with the remaining members of the rookie nine and team Gai and their senseis. They would each die by his hands until he got what he wanted.

"Naruto," said Sasuke aloud. "Their deaths are on your hands."

In the Milky Way Dynasty, at that very moment, Naruto sneezed as he was putting Asahi to bed.

"I think someone is talking about me," said Naruto with a light chuckle. "I can only hope it's something good."

"Aniki," said Asahi. "Are you going to continue the story?" Naruto smiled.

"Sure," he said. "But not for very long. Tomorrow we will be at the beach and I want us all rested so we can enjoy it." Asahi nodded and Naruto continue the story where he had left off from the night before. "Alright now where was I?"

"You were about to fight that Haku person," said Asahi.

"Your right," said Naruto with a smile. "Now, I had just arrived at the bridge and had made a really cool entrance with smoke and everything. Sasuke was strapped in a cage of ice mirrors and Sakura was guarding the client. My sensei was fighting Zabuza. After he yelled at me…"

"Why did he yell at you," asked Asahi. "Was your entrance not cool enough?"

"I was too showy," he answered. "I was supposed to sneak in and catch them by surprise. Sure I did that with the first shuriken, but I should have kept that up. Any ways, I snuck into the ice mirror cage and surprised my teammate. After Sasuke used a fire jutsu, I began to launch my shadow clones at the mirrors. But nothing we did seemed to have any effect. And each time we failed we were hit by a rain of needles. In the end, Sasuke pushed me out of the way so that I wouldn't die."

"Did he die," asked Asahi fearfully.

"I thought he did. That's when I lost hit. I attack Haku without any mercy. If his mask hadn't broken, I would have killed him. From some reason, I couldn't. I asked him why he was helping Zabuza. He told me that he was the only person that was precious to him and because I defeated him, his purpose was over. He begged me to kill him. I almost did."

"What happened?"

"Before I could land the killing blow, he vanished and moved to save Zabuza from my senseis jutsu. After that it got worse. Gato appeared with a small army of thugs behind him and we were all too tired to do anything really. Then, Gato did something really unforgivable. He kicked Haku's corpse. At first, Zabuza acted like he didn't care so I yelled at him. That's when Zabuza finally realized how much Haku meant to him and, at the expense of his own life, he killed Gato." Asahi didn't know what expense meant, but judging by her elder brothers eyes, it meant something bad happened. Then, his eyes light back up. "After that, we found out that Sasuke wasn't dead and that the villagers came to help us. In the end, the thugs ran home like chickens." Naruto then explained Zabuza's final wish and the snow that fell. After that, he kissed her forehead and said goodnight.

In the Leaf village, at that moment, Neji was taking Tenten out for lunch (time difference and all that). He had made reservations at one of the restaurants owned by the Hyuga family. This meant it was supper classy and very expensive. It was the perfect place to 'pop' the question.

As they ate the meal, Neji could help but stare at her. She looked so beautiful. She was dressed in a blue kimono with a white cloud pattern. She had let her hair down, which was something she had never done since he had known her. It went down a little past her shoulder. Neji wasn't looking half bad himself. He was wearing the same kimono his father had worn when he had proposed. In a way, Neji felt that his father was with him. When the meal looked like it was about to finish, Neji decided to begin.

"Ah Tenten, we've know each other for a long time. And in that time, we have done a lot together. And I'm not talking about missions, I mean the stuff in-between them."

"Ya we have," said Tenten with a smile. "Like that swimming trip we took. It was supposed to be just the too of us but Lee, Sakura, Hinata, and Gaara crashed the party. You got so angry when you saw Hinata and Gaara making out by the water."

"I was angry about other things," admitted Neji with a long face. "I wanted it to be just the two of us. Anyways, that doesn't matter. Tenten, I want to make my own destiny. And I want that destiny to include you." At that point Neji vanished from sight and reappeared next to Tenten on one knee. His hand held out a diamond ring. "Tenten, will you marry me?"

Tenten gasped and moved her hands up to her mouth. She then looked into the eyes of Neji and saw that he was serious and that he loved her from the bottom of his heart. She then gave him a teary eyed smile.

"Yes Neji. I'll marry you."

In the Hokage's office, Tsunade was watching the whole thing with a sad smile. She was happy for them but at the same time she was cursing her luck. She had made a bet with Shizune that Tenten would have said no and that they should wait. Looks like she lost her day off.

The next morning in Celestial, Naruto and company were making their way to the beach for a bit of rest and relaxation. Naruto was eager to see Mai in her new swimsuit that she had bought just for him.

"Naruto-niisan, why do we need to take a day off," asked Asahi. "I wanna train more and become strong like you."

"It's something Yokan-ojiisan taught me a while back," replied Naruto.

"Who's he," asked Asahi with a confused look.

"What the fuck is that matter with you," asked Zanku. Naruto and Mai gave him disapproving looks. He was the reason Asahi swore at times. "We met him about a shitty year and a half ago."

"She was only two then," said Naruto in a stern voice. He then looked at Asahi and decided to explain. "Yokan-ojiisan was an old man we heard about who would teach people how to use their elemental chakra. Thanks to him I was able to improve my Rasengan jutsu."

"He also pounded into Naruto's head that even he needs a brake every once and a while," said Mai with a smirk. Naruto put on his puppy dog face.

"I'm not that bad," said a pouty Naruto.

"Like hell," said Zanku. "If you didn't need food or sleep you would spend all your time training and have no live." Zanku then moved next to Naruto and began to whisper in his ear. "Is you fan club going to be at the beach?"

"Sadly yes," whispered Naruto back. "I don't know how they found out but they are all going to be their."

"So how many people are in it now," he asked.

"Too many," was Naruto's answer.

Yes, Naruto's popularity with the ladies had grown over the years. Unlike in the Leaf, where the girls were into brooders, the girls loved the knight in shining armor bit. What had started out as four fans soon became a group so large they started their own newsletter. The more obsessive fangirls followed his movement or tried to figure out were he would be next. How they figured that out confused Naruto to no end. The rest just seemed to wait for him to come to them.

Mai hated this of course. She was his girlfriend and most of their dates were interrupted by the more violent ones. Couldn't they take the hint that he was taken. And why did they have to send her letters with exploding notes?

Zanku had his own opinion of the situation. He wanted it. Hell, who wouldn't. He loved all of the cat fights that broke out (mainly because clothing got damaged). He also got a good profit by selling some of Naruto's old things to the girls who literally wanted a piece of him. Also, Naruto would always try to steer some of them in his direction.

A few hours later the group was lying on the beach in their swim suits soaking up some sun. Asahi was building a sand castle. Naruto wore a bright red swim suit and had put a henge over his weights to make it look like they weren't there. Mai had gone with a bright blue bikini. Asahi's swim suit had wave pattern on it. Zanku had on a black swim suit but was still wearing his bandages. Everything was going nicely until Asahi saw something that scared the crap out of her. She ran over to Naruto and started tugging on his arm.

"Niisan," she cried. "There are some scary people here."

Naruto opened his eyes and got up. He didn't see anything odd at first. Then he heard a very familiar phase that scared him.

"Behold the power of youth," said an elderly man a few yards away from them. He was wearing the evil green spandex that Gai and Lee wore. He was a balding man with a long white beard that touched the floor. He also had very thick white eyebrows. Beside him was a mini me of him wearing the same evil spandex. This one looked to be about twenty years old and, judging by the red dots on his forehead, was from the Kaguya clan. He had teal colored eyes and had his white hair cut into a bowl style.

"Look at all of these youthful people Ranshin-sensei," yelled the Kaguya.

"Yes Yoen," said the elder man called Ranshin. "I can feel all of the youthfulness that surrounds these people. It moves this old mans heart to tears." The two began to hug and the sun began to set, even thought it was only 11:00 A.M.

"RANSHIN-SENSEI!"

"YOEN!"

"RANSHIN-SENSEI!"

"YOEN!"

"RANSHIN-SENSEI!"

"YOEN!"

Elsewhere, in a small hut near the border between Milky Way and Pegasus, sat an old man by the name of Yokan. He was in his late sixties or early seventies. His spiky hair had turned grey over time but his blue eyes still had the same shine they always held. He was dressed in a brown robe. He was sipping some tea when the door opened and there stood the Panda-sennin dressed in a black traditional shinobi outfit.

"I heard from my sources that the Kitsune-sennin came here," he said as he glared at the elder man. "Is this true old man?"

"I haven't seen you in fifteen years and you don't even ask how I am feeling," said Yokan in a sad tone. "Junpuu, I thought I taught you better than that."

"Forgive me tousan," said Junpuu. "But when I hear that my father taught my enemy I tend to forget things like manners. Bad habit."

"Indeed," replied the old man. "Yes, I did teach him. He is a remarkable young man and holds great promise. Would you like to know more about him?"

"You'll tell me," asked the Panda-sennin in a surprised tome.

"If it means that my only son will send five minutes with his father than yes I will. Let me make you some tea. Please, sit down." With that, Yokan got up and moved to get more tea as Junpuu sat down.

Back at the beach, after much yelling at the two hugging people, everyone was sitting in a circle.

"I am sorry if me and my newest apprentice disturbed you," apologized Ranshin. "We were just over taken by all of the youthfulness in the area."

"Shut the fuck up about youthfulness," said Zanku.

"Ya," said Asahi. "Shut the fuck up."

"Zanku," hissed both Naruto and Mai. They were both sending the red headed swearer death glares that promised a very painful death.

"Such unyouthfulness," said Yoen. Naruto sighed and turned his attention back to Ranshin.

"By any chase do you know a person called Gai," he asked. Ranshin's eyes light up.

"Ah, I haven't heard that name in a long time," he said. "At one time, he was a student of mine in the way of the spring time of youth."

"I should have known," said Naruto. "So, you have been to Elemental."

"My boy," chucked the old man, "I have traveled the world spreading the power of youth. When I first met Gai, he was so unyouthful. He was a quite, shy boy. But, after spending about a year with me, he became the very vision of youth."

"I am moved by this," said Yoen with tears in his eyes. "I hope to one day be as youthful as he is." At that, the hugging began again. (Cover your eyes!)

"RANSHIN-SENSEI!"

"YOEN!"

"RANSHIN-SENSEI!"

"YOEN!"

"RANSHIN-SENSEI!"

"YOEN!"

"Are you the Kitsune-sennin," asked a gruff voice. Naruto turned around and saw a man of about 32 standing behind him. He was wear a black bowler hat, a black trench coat that was buttoned up all the way, black pants, and black steel toe boots. He had teal colored eyes and white hair that looked like pinchers on his back. Around him were three others wearing black cloaks.

"Yes and aren't you hot in that," asked Naruto.

"My name is Mashin," he said. "I am the third strongest member of the Inoshishi bandits." He pointed out to a nearby grassland that marked were the beach ended. "I will met you there in one hour. If you are even one minute late, I will kill everyone on this beach and their blood will be on your hands." With that, he and his three friends left.

"I just can't get a day off," said Naruto with a sigh.

Back with the Panda-sennin, he had been waiting for his father to give him the information he wanted. But, instead, he talked about the weather and kept asking he wanted anything to go with his tea. Finally, he snapped.

"Damn it tousan," he shouted as he slammed his fist on the table. "I don't have time for this. I only need information on the Kitsune-sennin!" Yokan gave him a sad look.

"Very well son," he said. "The boy you seek spent about two weeks here until he mastered his elemental chakra."

"Impossible," said Junpuu. "It takes years to master ones elemental chakra."

"He used the kage bushin no jutsu to speed things along," said Yokan with a soft smile. "He made hundreds of them and accomplished this in a week. The next week he began to elemental manipulation to form manipulation. There were some flaws with his new jutsus, but I helped work them out. As far as I know, he completed his ultimate jutsu."

"What's his nature," demanded the enraged son.

"Natures," corrected Yokan. "The first is wind. The other is very rare. I have only seen it in two people in my entire life. The light chakra."

"I never heard of light chakra," said Junpuu with narrowed eyes. "What is so special about it?"

"It is a chakra that carries a terrible burden," replied Yokan. "The light chakra effects others hearts. He has the power to take people out of their sorrow and forget their hatred. He can change people for the better. However, people who have had this chakra are always burdened with unnatural misfortune and suffering. It would seem to them as if the world has turned it's back on them. Most give up hope for themselves and only wish to end their own suffering. It is that or they are killed in some sort of accident caused by their misfortune. As far as I know, he is the oldest person ever to hold this chakra."

"If I didn't know any better I would think that you admire him."

"I do. Although I know I will never see him again, I know he will defeat you and the rest of the sennin. I am proud to have meet a member of our clan that was free for the hate we have carried for the last 300 years."

"You are right about one thing father," said Junpuu as he got up and bit his thumb. "You won't see him again."

Back at the beach, the allotted time had come and Naruto was staring at Mashin as his friends. Behind Naruto was Zanku (with his sword) and, for some reason, Yoen. Mai was with Asahi and the Hyuga fan girls.

"Lets get this over with," said Naruto with an annoyed glare. "I'm missing valuable make out time with Mai-chan!"

"I'm missing chick hunting you shit head," whined Zanku.

"What you are doing is most unyouthful," said Yoen. Everyone just sweat dropped.

"Why the fuck are you here," demanded Zanku.

"I must help my new youthful friends," said Yoen. More sweat drops follow.

"Lets get started," said Mashin. At that, the other figures disrobed and caused everyone else to gasp. The smallest one was only four feet tall, had a hunched back, and was wearing what looked like a potato sack. He had black hair, yellow eyes, and green skin. His skin had stitches all over it, like he had been cut up and put back together. Finally, from his elbows down looked like they were made of metal. The one was about five foot and looked like someone had played Mr. Potato head with his body. One had looked clawed and the other one looked like it belonged to a woman. His right eye had a Sharingan and the left had the Byakugan. Some of his looked more tanned than other part and also looked like he had to many stitches. Like the first one, he had black hair and was dressed in what looked like a potato sack. The last one was a woman and looked the best out of the three. She had teal colored hair that curved down her back like a fang and pink eyes. She was wearing a black battle kimono with a white sash tied around her waist. As far as anyone could tell, the only stitches were the ones around her wrists.

"What the hell," said Naruto.

"You like," asked Mashin. "These are my Living Corpses. In my early days, I wanted to find the secret to bringing the dead back to life." He pointed to the green one. "Hazure was my first. Sadly, he had no memories of his former life and had no free will. But, I created a fighter that would do what ever I wanted. With that in mind, I created Yotamon." He indicated to the Sharingan/Byakugan holder. "With him, I tried to create a warrior who could hold many bloodlines. Sadly, he failed to live up to expectations. Finally, I chose Niwa, my girlfriend, as the last test subject."

"WHAT THE HELL'S THE MATTER WITH YOU," shouted Naruto. "HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO SOMEONE YOU LOVED?"

"Why are you so upset," asked Mashin. "It's not like I'm going to hell. My experiment has proved that when we die we cease to exist. There is no paradise waiting for us when we die. There is no lake of fire and brimstone. Therefore, there is no need to love or strive to do good to get an eternal reward. I feel so free." At that, he began to laugh.

Zanku couldn't take this any more. With the Kirigakuon in hand he charged at them. When he was half way to them, he jumped into the air. He then yelled, "**Chouon Bakudan!**"

"Hazure," said Mashin quickly, "use **Tetsu Shugokote**." Hazure, wordlessly, moved himself in front of Mashin. That's when Zanku's attack hit.

"Did I get the fuckers," asked Zanku as he landed. When the smoke cleared he got his answer, no he didn't. Hazure's metal arms seemed to have grown and block the attack.

"Hazure kill that foul mouthed boy," ordered Mashin. "Yotamon, kill the one in the spandex. He's an eye sore. Niwa, kill the Kitsune-sennin." The three of them split up and began to attack their target. Mashin seemed to watch them and give out orders or jutsus.

Zanku was having a hard time with his opponent. Despite the fact that he was fast and stronger, all of his attacks were blocked by his steel like arms. Hazure also seemed to have some skill in hand to hand combat. Zanku swung his sword from the right only to have it block. As he blocked the blade with one arm, Hazure charged forward and punched Zanku in the gut sending him back.

"Damn that fucking hurt," said Zanku as he held one hand on his stomach. Then he noticed that Hazure was charging again. "Take this shit head, **Fushiken!**" The blades hit Hazure leaving several deep cuts, but not stopping him. "Shit!"

Yoen was having problems with his opponent. Yotamon used the Sharingan to predict his opponent's every move and the Byakugan to see all around him. He was also much fast than Hazure. Deciding to end the speed advantage, he charged at Yotamon. When Yoen was close enough he yelled, "**Karamatsu no Mai!**" His bones shot out of body and latched themselves into Yotamon. They were now stuck to each other.

"Don't worry," said Yoen as he pulled a sword out of his shoulder. "I will put you out of your misery." Before he could perform his next dance, Yotamon grabbed his arms and increased the power of his grip. That's when Mashin said, "**Dokutsuba!**" Yotamon then spat a purple liquid in Yoen's face. Mashin grinned as Yoen screamed in pain. He then yelled, "**Shuuigai no San!**" Acid began to seep from Yotamon's skin and quickly ate away ate the bones that kept them together.

Naruto was dodging all of Niwa's punches. She seemed to be the most 'alive' of the bunch. The others had jerky movements while she was more fluid. After a few more dodges, Naruto decided to finish her quickly. His hand began to glow blue and took the shape of a claw. He then shouted, "**Juutsume!**" He made a slashing motion along her midsection and she went sailing backwards.

"Sorry," Naruto said quietly. Then his eye's widened in shock as Niwa got up despite the four large slash marks in her chest.

"Are you seeing how pointless this is," smirked Mashin. "You can't kill what isn't alive. They will continue to follow my orders until they are destroyed. Now Niwa, grow us some cherry trees." Niwa nodded and placed her palms on the ground. A moment later, two cherry tree with sakura petals grew next to her. "I forgot to mention that Niwa was a relative of the Tora-sennin. **Fūka Enbu Jin!**" Once ordered, the petals shot from the trees and flew towards Naruto. They pierced and cut him at the same time. When it was over, the sakura petals fell to the ground. " **Sakura no Mai!**" With that, the sakura petal rose from the ground and began to swirl around Naruto. Once again, he was being cut up by the tiny petals.

"That's it," said Naruto as he made some hand signs. "**Kuchiyose: Doton: Kitsune Hora!**" Foxes shot out of the ground and bit into all three Living Corpses. "From here on, your attacks are worthless!"

"We'll see about that," said Mashin. "**Shuuigai no San!**" Yotamon began to seep acid and the foxes that held onto him vanished. "**Sakura no Mai!**" Once again, the petals rose, but circled around Niwa instead of him. She was soon freed of all the foxes.

Before Mashin could call out a jutsu to free Hazure, Zanku had already jumped into the air. He yelled, "**Chouon Bakudan!** Bitch!" The sound wave created by his sword hit it's target and left Hazure in the middle of a large creator with nearly every bone in its body broken.

"Useless trash," spat Mashin. "No matter. **Dokutsuba! Hana no Fukinsen!** Finish them!" Yotamon spat more of the purple liquid at Yoen while Niwa created a large axe from all of the flower petals.

Yoen couldn't get the purple liquid off of him and it kept burning him. Then he got an idea. "**Sawarabi no Mai!**" With that, Yoen sank into the ground. A moment later, bone spikes shot out of the ground and impaled Yotamon. Yoen then walked out a bone. What he had done was become one with the bones and then moved to a different one away from the purple liquid.

Naruto watched as the flower axe wielding woman came towards him. "**Bikoutai: ****Kazan!**" His tail then turned red and the white tip began a flickering white flame. Increasing the head around his fists until they caught fire, he punched the axe causing it to burst into flames. He then punched Niwa in the gut with the other fist. Naruto went back to normal when he said, "**Bikoutai: Kai!**" When Naruto looked over at Niwa, he saw Mashin kicking her.

"You worthless piece of trash," he shouted. "How could you fail me?" Before he could say anything else he heard Zanku shout, "**Fushiken!**" Mashin froze as the blades came towards him. Before they hit, however, Niwa sprung up and took the hit. Mashin fell to his knees. Every one just stared at this. Then, Niwa looked down at Mashin and for the first time spoke.

"Are you all right master," she asked in a raspy voice.

"Why," he asked. "I didn't tell you to save me. So why?" She gave him a sad look.

"I have the memories of the original Niwa," she said. "She loved you from the bottom of her heart. Her last thought were that you would always be safe. Those feeling carried onto me." She looked like she had more to say. She looked like she wanted to say more. But instead, she fell to the ground, dead.

"I don't understand," cried Mashin as he stared at the dead body in front of him.

"She truly loved you and you threw it away," said Naruto. "It doesn't matter if there is a heaven or a hell. You shouldn't do good to get a reward or avoid punishment. You do it because it's the right thing to do. And feeling of love never die. Her love for you continued even after you betrayed her. Now, you are all alone." With that Naruto began to walk away from Mashin.

"Naruto-kun, what should we do about him," asked Yoen as he followed Naruto.

"I think he's done," said Naruto as continued to walk. "Now he has to live with his choices." With that, the three of them walked back to their friends and loved ones.

Junpuu Uzumaki walked out of the hut. His body covered in the blood of his father.

"Fool," was all he said.

Well, I hope you all liked it. I hope I explained my concept of light chakra enough. This does explain why Naruto always seems to get into dangerous situations and nearly gets killed.

Next time: Ino gets Choji on a diet? Zanku gets a girlfriend with a secret agenda. Naruto and Mai get some alone time.

Now, review. Come on, you know you want to. Just push the button!

Translations: (thx Dragon Noir!)

Sakura no mai: Sakura dance

Fūka Enbu Jin : Petal Whirlwind

Hana no fukinsen: flower battle axe

Tetsu shugokote: iron guardian gauntlet

Dokutsuba: poison spit

Shuuigai no san: rotting corpse acid

Bikoutai: Kazan: Tail Shift: Volcano


	9. Chapter 9

I have had a number of emails sent to me about when I will bring Naruto back to the Elemental Countries. You people are really organized. Well, if things keep going the way they are, I say about seven or eight more chapters until news of Naruto reaches the Leaf village. So please, stop asking. Wait, I told you all this in the last chapter! Come on and give me a break.

This chapter is dedicated to all you Zanku fans. Also, sorry for the late update. I have been very busy and have had a bad case of writers block. Well, it was more a problem of putting it down in words.

Parts of this story might seem a bit cruel and evil. Please remember that bad guys are bad guys for a reason. They lack A LOT of morals.

Now, let's begin!

* * *

Naruto stood in front of two graves in wave country. On one of the graves was the mask of a hunter-nin and the other had a large zanbato behind it. They were the graves of people he remembered with pride, despite the situation that brought them together. They were Haku and Zabuza. It had been many years since he had seen this sight, yet it was still fresh in his mind. 

Suddenly, Naruto's heightened senses picked up on someone behind him. He turned around and saw a familiar old man holding a large bottle of sake. The old man walked over to the edge of the cliff that the graves were on and sat down. Naruto walked over to him and sat down in front of him.

"I hope this isn't disrespectful," said Naruto to the old man. "Oh well, it's been a while Yokan-ojiisan." Yokan gave a light chuckle at that remark and pulled out two small glasses. He poured some sake in each of them and then handed a glass to Naruto. "I don't think I should. Remember I have no tolerance."

"I remember baka," said Yokan with a smirk. "Trust me; you can handle it for the moment. Besides, I promised that we would have a drink together the next time we saw each other." They then both took a sip of their drinks. Surprisingly, Naruto wasn't affected by the liquor. "So, how are things?"

"I'm doing good," said Naruto. "Still got those bandit gangs on my ass and Asahi is hounding me to teach her some super cool jutsus. I finally understand how my sensei's felt when I did it to them. So, how are you doing?"

"My son finally came to see me," answered Yokan with a sad smile. "It was nice to see that boy again." He stopped and took another sip of his drink and then looked at Naruto. "I hope you have finished working out the kinks in the ultimate form of your Rasengan."

"Actually," said Naruto as he scratched the back of his head, "the Fūton: Rasenshuriken isn't the final version."

"What!?" Naruto took a sip of his sake before he began to explain.

"After I mastered the Fūton: Rasenshuriken, I became aware that it could go farther and become so much more. The Fūton: Rasenshuriken is only the first half. So I began to experiment here and there. I'm so close I can feel it." Yokan just sighed and shook his head.

"This is no time to be lazy baka! Get off your ass and finish that jutsu!"

"Hey, you told me to focus on forming it with one hand like I could do with the normal Rasengan. It took six months to do that. While I was doing that, I was able to create some variations to the normal Rasengan. Besides, I'm really close to finishing it."

"I hope so," said Yokan in a solemn tone. "I came here to tell you a few things so listen up. The first is that a storm is heading your way. The one in control of this storm is the Panda-sennin. In the last three years you have faced many members of the Inoshishi and Tora, but only one Panda. Didn't you ever think that was strange?"

"A bit," admitted Naruto. "I was hoping that they didn't think that I was worth the trouble."

"Yes and no," replied Yokan. "You aren't worth the trouble but to get to their goal they will have to go through you and they will throw everything that they have at you at once. You will have to win. If you lose, it will not only be Milky Way that will suffer but all of the Celestial Dynasties will suffer."

"No pressure right?" Yokan smirked at this and nodded. He then got up and began to move towards the tree line. Then he stopped and turned to face Naruto once more.

"One last thing Naruto," he said. "Be happy. You can't continue to hold the weight of the world on your shoulders and deprive yourself of almost everything that you truly want. When this is over, don't wait any longer than you already have." With that, Yokan walked into the forest.

----

Mai walked over to the sleeping Naruto. _He tells us to go to bed early so we can get up early and he's the only one still asleep._ With that, she moved next to him and gave him a kiss on the lips. That woke him up.

"I had the weirdest dream," said Naruto as he began to get up. "I was having sake with Yokan-ojiisan back in Elemental." _O.K., it's not my weirdest. The one with me and Mai swimming in the giant bowl of ramen was the weirdest. But then again there was…__**that**__ dream. Hehe!_

"Right," said Mai as she crossed her arms. "Come on, Zanku wants us to meet that girl he met yesterday for breakfast."

---

Back in the Leaf village, Choji was doing something that no sane man should ever do. Well, unless there is a very bossy woman standing in front of you. And looking very pissed that you are stalling. That's right, Choji was eating a salad! (It's rabbit food.)

Both he and Ino had been dating for about a year now. It started when they had meet Sai. Sai had once been a member of Root; however his loyalties were to the village and not to Danzo. Because of this, he aided the village in tracking down several of it's members that were hidden in the village, waiting to ambush them at the right moment. He worked with Teams 10 and Gai and at first the girls were taken by him. Sadly, because of Root, he lacked a lot of people skills and one of them was manners. Several times he had made Ino cry and each time Choji got angrier and angrier until he couldn't take it anymore. When that time came he punched Sai in the face and helped Ino home. Shortly after that, they started dating.

Since then, they had both done some changing. Ino, for example, wasn't always on a diet. Now she ate enough to give her some muscle mass and not make her look like a skeleton. Choji limited what he ate and was going for the minimum weight that his clan allowed for his jutsus to work. But still…

"Ino-chan," said Choji as he hesitated taking a bit of the salad that had no dressing. "Is this _**really**_ supposed to be good for you?" He gulped as he saw flames appear in her eyes.

"Are you questioning me?" she demanded. Choji did the smart thing and shook his head. With a sigh he began to eat.

After a few bites (very long bites), Shikamaru came into the small restaurant and hid under their table. Now, to normal people or people who didn't know him, they would be wondering what just happened or something to that effect. Well, shinobi aren't normal people and they knew him very well.

"So," said Ino as if nothing was wrong. "What did you say to Temari that got her mad?"

"This is so troublesome," said Shikamaru. He was about to get out from under the table when Temari walked into the room. She and Shikamaru had been together for about two years now. They had a dangerous relationship that caused many people to think that she would kill him before every date.

"There you are," said an angry Temari as she walked over to the table. She then grabbed her fan from her back and hit Shikamaru, destroying the table and salad to do it.

"Do you have to destroy property just to hurt him," asked Ino with an annoyed look. "What did he do this time?"

"He is refusing to take the jonin test," Temari practically yelled.

"It's too troublesome," said Shikamaru. "I like being a chunin because I get guard duty. Not much to do there but watch the clouds."

"That's it!" yelled both Temari and Ino.

"You've known him for how long and still can't figure him out?" asked Choji with a smirk. Temari just sighed and then grabbed the lazy genius and pulled him up.

"Listen," she said in a stern tone, "there are benefits to becoming a jonin. Like more money."

"Money is too troublesome," he replied. Temari smirked at this.

"More money means you can move out of your parent's house. Meaning we can stop renting a hotel," she said. She then gave him an evil smile. "I mean, it would be bad if your mother or Gaara found out about our private meetings."

Shikamaru's eyes widened. He couldn't tell which was the greater of the two evils. His mom had made it clear that if she caught him doing anything inappropriate, she would force them to get married. Gaara, on the other hand, threatened that if he ever found out that they were doing it, he would use a Sabaku Sousou to make sure he would never have children. He then imagined what would happen if they both found out. The result was…unkind.

"You're evil," he said as he got the underlying meaning to her words; take the exam or else I'll tell your mother and my brother.

---

Meanwhile, near the border of Fire Country, a group of four was on a patrol. This group composed of Tsume Inuzuka, her son Kiba, their dogs, Shibi Aburame, and his son Shino. Reports had stated that Sound-nins had been spotted in the area near the border. For the last couple of days they had been searching and had seen no signs of them. They were about to turn back to the village when they heard two things that caught their attention. The first was the sound of a Chidori and the other was a woman screaming.

"Akamaru, do you smell that?" asked Kiba as he sniffed the air. Akamaru barked in agreement. Tsume tensed as she smelt it too. There was no mistaking this scent. The only thing that had changed was that it had the extra stench of snakes. It was Sasuke Uchiha. There were others with him as well.

"We should check this out," said Shibi. The rest of them nodded and sped in the direction of the scent, making sure that they were well hidden. About a minute later they arrived at their destination. In front of Sasuke was a blue haired girl who had a flower in her hair and a hole in her chest. Behind Sasuke was a girl with glasses, a guy with a large zanbato on his back, and the last guy looked very nervous. They were looking at a group in front of them. One had a tri scythe, another had a lot of stitches, and the third was the shortest but was long, another was half black and half white with a Venus flytrap around his body, and the last was wearing an odd orange mask. The one thing that this group had in common was that they were wearing black robes with red clouds on them.

"Well that nuisance is gone," said Sasuke with a bored look on his face. "I trust the rest of you have no objections to my proposal to join me."

"That is only 'if' what you say is true," said Kakuzu. "How do know that Leader-sama is deceiving us?"

"That's right," said Tobi. "You don't look very trustworthy. You just look scary."

"Orochimaru found it out while he was working for your organization," said Sasuke while ignoring Tobi's comment. "At first, he believed like you that the main goal of the Akatsuki was to take over the world. That was just a lie to get you all on board and help him collect the Bijuu. His real goal was to combine all of them into a single host, creating a living god. However, this plan can no longer exist without the Kyuubi vessel and its infinite chakra."

The Leaf-nins were shocked at this. The leader of Akatsuki was planning on creating a god? But, what was the point? Kiba and Shino were wondering what Sasuke was talking about with the Kyuubi. It had been dead for years. Shibi and Tsume gave each other worried looks about the alliance Sasuke was proposing.

"I see," said Sasori. "May I ask why you asked of us?"

"Orochimaru had very few good qualities," said Sasuke. "One of them was his spy network." Sasuke then pulled out a small black book. "This contains all the information on all members and subordinates in your organization. It mentions that the loyalist members are Itachi, Kisame, and Deidara. That is why I called you all here. Pity the information was wrong about the girl."

"I will give you all time to think about this," continued Sasuke. "You can either stay were you are and never have what you were promised or join me and take this world by force. We will meet in River Country in four days with your decision." The Akatsuki members nodded and vanished. Sasuke then turned to his allies. "You three go on ahead. There are some insects that I would like to squash." The three nodded and vanished from sight, knowing that arguing would result in their death. Sasuke then turned to where the Leaf-nins were hiding. "You can come out now." With that said, the four humans and two dogs jumped out of their hiding place and faced Sasuke.

"Uchiha what are you thinking?" yelled Kiba. "How many people have to die just so you can be satisfied?" Sasuke gave him an uninterested look and then turned his attention to Tsume and Shibi.

"I will allow you both to live if you leave your sons here for me to kill," he said as if it were nothing. "One of them might help me to unlock the Mangekyo Sharingan. Kiba is a lot like that baka Naruto and Shino has some qualities that remind me of myself."

"Like hell we will!" snarled Tsume. Shibi simply nodded. Sasuke sighed.

"Then you have chosen death for everyone," he said as he unsheathed his blade.

"Kiba. Shino. Get out of here now," said Tsume. "Me and Shibi will try to buy you enough time. You have to get back to the village and inform them about what Sasuke is planning."

"Should we not assist you?" asked Shino.

"No," replied Shibi. "The four of us cannot defeat him. Go now."

Tsume knew that Kiba wouldn't leave, it wasn't in his nature to run. He would rather die than leave a family member to their death. She was very proud of him for that. Most people would have simply run away without thinking twice. But, this wasn't the time for foolish bravery. She let out a low whistling sound, a trick she had taught him, and Akamaru grabbed Kiba with his mouth and began to run in the direction of the village. Shino was a bit reluctant to leave, but did so eventually.

"That was meaningless," sneered Sasuke. "I will kill them sooner or later. You are only delaying the inevitable."

"Maybe," said Shibi as he adjusted his sunglasses. "But, no parent should ever live to see their child's death. It is the parent's job to make sure that they live a long life."

"It wasn't enough for you to kill Naruto," said Tsume. "You're using his death to your advantage!"

"It was his only real use," said Sasuke. "His death didn't awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan like it was supposed to. Now, because of his worthlessness, your children will die. But, you won't live to see that." With that, he charged at the Leaf-nins.

Six hours later, 16 ANBU arrived at the scene. They arrived at a battlefield that had only three corpses. Two humans and one dog. The only comment they could make about this was that they put up one hell of a fight.

---

Two weeks later in Milky Way…

"Why can't I go with you nii-san?" asked Asahi in a whiny voice. She had just been told that Naruto and Mai were going to see a play tonight. They were in one of the nicer cities in Milky Way. It reminded him of Tanzaku City because of it's size and historical features like castles and bridges. It was also home to one of the largest theaters in the Celestial Dynasties. It was one of those places you had to visit before you die type of places.

"Because I only have two tickets," said Naruto sternly. "Besides, it involves sitting still for a long time and I don't think you can do that. Besides, Zanku and his girlfriend Rose will be watching you. I'm sure you will have a lot of fun with them. Also, Ranshin and Yoen have plans as well and won't be back until tomorrow."

Rose, Zanku's girlfriend, had been traveling with them since the beach incident. They had meet in front of a taco stand and were later seen under a dock doing things I can't say unless I change the rating. Naruto was a bit unnerved around her because she resembled Mizuki. Just think of him in a more feminine body and large breasts and you get the picture. Naruto never voiced this because Zanku seemed very happy with his relationship. Besides, appearances aren't everything. Just because she looked like the bastard that betrayed the village and hurt his sensei didn't mean a thing. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

"Naruto-kun," called Mai from across the street. "Let's hurry up. The show starts in an hour." She was wearing a fancy red dress that exposed her back. She normally kept it in a traveling scroll and only took it out for special occasions like this. A bit of her wished that Naruto could dress up as well, but that would reveal his fox like features and cause every bounty hunter within a hundred miles to swarm on them.

"Coming Mai-chan," he called back. He then turned to Zanku. "Make sure she gets dinner and goes to bed by seven thirty. And if I find out you did something…inappropriate in front of her…"

"I won't," said Zanku, cutting him off. "Now go and have some fun." Naruto nodded and ran over to Mai. Zanku couldn't help smirking at how Naruto was acting. _A few years ago he wanted to find her a good fucking home and move on with his life. But now look at him. Nothing but an overprotective dumbass brother._

"You should really stop worrying," she said as the two of them walked in the direction of the theater. "Zanku will make sure that nothing happens to her."

"I know," said Naruto. "I trust him with my life. It's Rose that has me worried. I just don't trust her."

"Why not?" asked Mai. "She seems very friendly and nice."

"That's the problem," said Naruto. He sighed as Mai gave him a look. "She just reminds me of someone I once knew who stabbed me and a friend in the back. Maybe I'm just being paranoid."

Little did Naruto know that his suspicions were correct. In an alleyway not to far from them was Rose and she was not alone. She stood before a bald man with a long, thin mustache and beard. He wore the uniform of the Tora with metal arm warmers. Within the Tora Bandits, he was the most cruel and underhanded. His name was Satsu.

"You know what to do," he said to Rose as he handed her a needle that contained a very dangerous looking liquid inside.

"Of course," she replied. "I just hope my cut is larger this time." With that she walked away.

The rest of the evening was pleasant enough. Zanku and Rose talked and joked as they walked around the city with Asahi. Asahi would stop and look into a store every once and a while and ask to take a look inside when she saw something she liked. Most of these stores were things most children her age liked to be in; candy stores, toy stores, and pet shops. After a while, they all got tired and Zanku looked at the time. It was about 5:45, meaning it was time to eat.

"I'll get us something to eat," said Zanku while refraining from swearing.

"O.K.," said Rose with a dark smile. "I'll watch Asahi." Zanku grinned beneath his bandages and walked away. Once he was far enough away, Rose quickly pulled out the needle and stabbed Asahi in the arm with in. Asahi's vision began to fade and she soon passed out.

Zanku walked back to were he left Rose and Asahi. He had gotten Asahi some ramen and some tacos for him and Rose. When he found Rose she was standing alone near an open manhole that lead to the sewers with a senbon needle in her mouth. Not seeing Asahi, Zanku got worried really fast.

"Rose-chan where is Asahi?" he asked. She just smirked and pointed down. Zanku dropped the food and grabbed her. "Why?! Why would you fucking hurt her?"

"To hurt the Kitsune-sennin," said Rose without any remorse. She gave out a bit of laughter when she saw a shocked look on his face. "What, you thought that I actually liked you? I was only with you to get close to that blond baka. But he never trusted me. So my boss asked me to get him the brat."

"I'LL RIP YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF!"

"Yes," she said. "But every second you waste the closer that girl gets to meeting death. She has in her blood stream a very strong poison. She could have anywhere from one to six hours left to live. Do you think you have the time to kill me?" Zanku threw her to the ground and looked at the manhole. He could fit, but he would have to leave his zanbato. He took it off of his back and placed it on the side of a building. He then walked over to the manhole and before he went down he glared at Rose. The look on his face spoke volumes: _The next time I see you I will kill you!_

The sewers were very damp and very smelly. A path had been lit for him along the side of the wall. Zanku followed it for what seemed like hours. As he ran he was mentally kicking himself. He blamed himself for allowing this to happen. If Asahi died, it would be all his fault for allowing Rose to travel with them. When he reached the end of the lit pathway, he saw Asahi on a ledge on the side were it was dry. Next to her was a needle with a green liquid. Standing next to her was Satsu. His arms were folded along his chest and he was gazing at Zanku with mild interest.

"Hello Zanku, former bounty hunter," said Satsu. Zanku looked a bit shocked at the fact someone remembered that. Satsu saw this and smirked. "Yes, I remember when you were an up and coming bounty hunter. I would have had some respect for you if you hadn't become the Kitsune-sennin's lap dog." He then got up and folded his arms. "Look at you. Just a babysitter to the brat he drags along with him."

"Is it true that you poisoned her you fucking hypocrite?" asked Zanku while he seethed with rage. His anger was quickly getting the better of him. Right now he wanted to race over to Satsu and kill him.

Satsu smirked inwardly at the rage he was seeing in Zanku's eyes. His plan was working perfectly. In battle, two things were important in order to win. The first was location. In order to take advantage of this a fighter had to make sure he had the advantage before going into the battlefield. A water user was useless in a desert, as the saying goes. Thanks to the small manhole and the slightly narrower space in the sewer, Zanku was without his large sword. The second key to winning were emotions. A calm head can think around any disadvantages and make wise decisions during the battle. Someone in Zanku's shoes, however, would be rushed due to anger and worry thus making many mistakes. These rules, he believed, would also work with Naruto. The narrow spaces would keep him from using his bigger jutsus without doing damage to the surrounding area. If he did, he would hurt the people above and be branded a criminal. (I hope I don't have to explain how that would work. If you don't get it, ask someone else please.)

Zanku, not liking Satsu's smirk, charged at him ready to punch his lights out. Satsu sidestepped him and delivered a roundhouse kick to his back. Zanku hit the sewage filled floor with a loud splash.

"This is pitiful," said Satsu with disgust. "It seems being a lapdog has dulled your fighting spirit. At your level you will never be able to reach the antidote that will save the gaki's life." By this point Zanku had gotten up and was now glaring at Satsu and wondering what he should do. Get the bad guy first or get the antidote? He saw Satsu smirk again and his mind was made up.

"FUCK YOU!!" screamed Zanku in anger as he charged at his opponent again ready to deliver another punch. Satsu moved around the fist and sent his knee into Zanku's gut.

The fight continued like this for several minutes. Each time Zanku would attack, Satsu would just dodge it and counter. Satsu finally got tired of this dance of pain and began to punch him into submission. Zanku took several punches to his face leaving the bandages covering his face a bloody mess. His right eye became black and swollen. At the end, Zanku was lying face up on the ground. Satsu walked over to him, grabbed him by his hair, and pulled him up.

"Without your sword you are useless," he said as he spat in his face.

Just then, a light came on in Zanku's head. _I do have a sword! I should have used it from the beginning!_

"Any last words," asked Satsu as he pulled back his free hand for the finishing blow.

"Only this," said Zanku as he activated his jutsu. "**Kaze no Yaiba!**" Zanku's hand swung across Satsu's chest. The winds began to cut away at him leaving a dead and bloody mess.

Zanku then began to crawl over to where Asahi was. Her skin was paler than a Hyuga's usually was. Zanku then grabbed the needle and injected her with the antidote. The effects were instantaneous. Color quickly returned to her and her breathing returned to normal.

"You're a lucky gaki," he said as he flopped on his back. "I'm just going to lie down for a few minutes." With that, he fell asleep.

What is Junpuu's big plan? How far off the deep end has Sasuke gone? What was Leader-sama's plan with the living god? Keep reading and you will find out soon enough. Next, the number two's step in and the new Rasengans will been seen!


	10. Chapter 10

I have decided to speed things up a bit. That's right; I am giving in to the demands of many of my readers who want me to get this part of my story done a bit faster. That and I'm just a bit lazy. Hehe. But, I am going to have all of the same jam packed action and this part should only last about four or five more chapters. Then comes the return to Elemental!

I know a lot of you are angry for the deaths of Tsume and Shibi. For that, I am sorry. My original plan was for it to be just Shino and Kiba on patrol and Shino giving up his life for Kiba. I just couldn't do it. I thought you would all hate me if I did that. I mean, we all stop reading stories when they take a turn when there is something that we, as readers and fans, can't stand. For example, I was reading a story where Hinata was a Branch member and Neji was a main branch and Naruto, in order to save her, had the caged bird seal placed on him instead. That ruined it for me. Too cruel since Neji was still an arrogant ass that just enjoyed using the seal too much.

Also, no I don't think that I made Sasuke stronger than he is in the cannon. I mean, he took down Orochimaru and is now fighting one on one Deidara. Sadly, it looks like he is going to win. (Tobi, help your senpei!) I think he should be able to handle a special jonin and a regular jonin with only some difficulties.

Now, on with the show.

* * *

The fall out of the deaths of a jonin and a tokubetsu jonin by the hands of Sasuke was a disaster. The village was now split into two groups. The smaller of the groups were now against the Uchiha; this group was mainly made of the Inuzuka and Aburame clans along with the rookie nine and Team Gai. It was the larger group that was the problem. 

The second faction was blaming all of the problems on Tsunade. According to them, everything went wrong as soon as she took office. She didn't kill the demon brat when she had the chance and let him infect the last Uchiha. She had allowed Sasuke to fall into the hands of Orochimaru and was at fault for Danzo's defection. It was under her watch the Hyuga blood line was no longer controlled solely by the village. They were demanding that she step down. The ring leaders of this faction were Homaru and Koharu.

Tsunade was now sitting in a room with the council, the civilian representative, and all of the major clan heads. The meeting was to determine what their plans on the leadership of the village should be. The council and the civilians wanted her to step down and allow a new form of leadership, making the Hokage a figurehead position. The Inuzuka and Aburame clans wanted her to stay and have the council replaced. The one who got the majority of the clans on their side would win.

Tsunade was fuming since they had bigger problems on their hands. It had been two days since the deadline Sasuke had demanded to the members of Akatsuki and they had no idea how they responded. If they refused him than things would remain the same. But, if they had decided to join him, Sasuke could easily crush the remaining members and begin his own world conquest. And here they were, questioning her leadership.

"Tsunade," said the civilian representative. "Before you became Hokage, things were much better. We still had a chance at reviving the Uchiha clan. Why didn't you take measures to ensure that the clan would continue in this village?"

Before she could respond the new head of the Inuzuka clan, Hana, spoke up.

"She doesn't need to answer to you _civilian_," she said. "The fact that we are here talking about this is insane. If it had been my clan that had been wiped out and there was only one survivor who defected to Orochimaru, would this meeting be taking place?"

"Surely not," said Homaru. "The Uchiha clan is far more valuable."

"I see," said Shino, who had taken his father's place in the clan. "So you are dismissing the other Great Clan's contributions to this village in favor of one clan." That statement raised the eyebrows of the other clan head.

"You misunderstand," said Koharu. "All the clans have contributed to this village. However, the Uchiha clan has done more for this village than the others combined. They were powerful in battle and served as the village's military police. They also brought many new jutsu into the village from their battles, giving us an advantage. And let us not forget how we were able to gain control of the Kage Bunshin." At that statement, several clan heads lowered their heads.

"What does that mean?" asked Hana.

"It was when the foundation of this village began to crumble," said Tsunade.

"Tsunade-sama," said Homaru. "You go too far. They refused to share their jutsu with the rest of the village. It wasn't a clan specific jutsu so it should have been shared with everyone."

"Be silent," said the Hokage. She then turned her attention to Shino and Hana. "The full story behind that jutsu is not talked about much since few people cared and that all the members of the clan that created it are now dead." With that, she paused for a moment before she continued. "When the village was first founded, a certain clan came to us seeking a new home. Their clan had issues with clans that had bloodline limits and had a history of other clans and villages stealing their jutsu."

"What kind were they?" asked Shino.

"Bunshin jutsu," answered Tsunade. "This clan was the first ever to experiment beyond illusions and make clone that could fight using the elements around them. Over time, other clans and villages wanted the secrets to these jutsus and sent spies and made arranged marriages for the sole purpose of getting their hands on these jutsus. Eventually, they were all stolen except for a few. One of them was the Kage Bunshin.

"Shortly after coming to this village that changed. On a mission, one of the members of this clan used the Kage Bunshin in front of an Uchiha while his Sharingan was activated. The secrets of the jutsu were exposed and were passed along the village. That was until the deaths occurred and fighting broke out between them and the Uchiha's."

"Deaths?" asked Inoichi who had never heard of this part. Tsunade nodded before continuing.

"Yes, people who were using the jutsu began to suffer from severe chakra depletion and some didn't make it. One of the deaths was a member of the Uchiha clan and they blamed the clan they had stolen the jutsu from. In the end, my grandfather ordered the jutsu to be sealed in the Forbidden Scroll and the jutsu to only be passed on to those who had enough chakra to use it without dying. The council at that time made a cover story to protect the Uchiha clan and blamed the other clan for the deaths their jutsu caused."

"What was the name of this clan," Hana asked. Tsunade lowered her head.

"It was the Uzumaki clan," she said.

"Uzumaki?" asked Shino as his shades nearly fell of. He quickly regained his composer. "What happened to the clan?"

"Most of them died in the Kyuubi attack," said Tsunade. "They were sent to the front line, apparently with no backup. When it was over, there were only two left. The one you all knew was Naruto Uzumaki. The other was his father and the brother-in-law of the Fourth, Haran Uzumaki."

"I think we are getting off topic," said the civilian representative.

"No we are not," said Shino. "What I have just heard makes me wonder how many other cover-ups were put up to protect the Uchiha clan. They have been treated like a spoiled child and this can no longer be tolerated. This village was founded on the principle of family and it is about time we started to act like it."

"This meeting is not about idealistic dreams," said Homaru. "We are here to discuss the removal of Tsunade-_sama_ from office."

"Very well then," said Hana in a furious voice. "But if she does go, then my clan shall quit the shinobi program."

"As will mine," said Shino.

"You can't do that!" yelled the civilian.

"You couldn't be more wrong," said Tsunade. "Like in any profession, an employ can quit whenever they want. They control their clans so they can."

Now the council was in between a rock and a hard place. As much as they wanted to start their own plan for the future, the village needed these two clans. They were the best trackers and information gatherers that they had. Then there was the sheer number of them. The village would be losing about twenty percent of its total shinobi forces if they left. Other clans made similar threats. In the end, they had no choice but to give in and let Tsunade continue to be Hokage; for now at least.

---

Haran Uzumaki was now aware of the loss of Aoihime. She had gotten a tip on the leader of the Sound Village and had gone to check it out. However, she never returned. When he found her remains, he noticed the hole in her chest and the burn marks surrounding it. It had been done by the Chidori. She had died just like his son.

Haran had known of loss his whole life. He had lost many friends during his life as a shinobi. The day he lost his clan was the biggest. He had lost his wife, who was the younger sister to the Fourth, that day. All that had remained on that day was him and his son.

Yet, he was no father to the boy. Like everyone else in the village, he believed that the demon had taken over Naruto's body. He left the village and began to plot revenge against everyone. He had snapped, the pain was too much. Everyone was at fault. He was angry at the villages for stealing his clan's jutsu, angry at the village for their hypocrisy, angry at the man who turned his own nephew into a demon, and angry at the demon who had taken his clan and his wife from him.

He had set out and began to gain some followers who felt like he did. That the world needed new management. Slowly, they gained power and strength. But they needed more. Then he met Aoihime who told him of a way to extract the Bijuu. Then, the plan for world domination became clear. He would use the monsters that the shinobi villages craved for his own.

Then he met Itachi who had been ordered to guard his son. Itachi told him about how the village treated him and how he stood there and took it with a smile. At first, Haran believed that the demon was just biding his time. But, as he listened to Itachi, his opinion changed. The Kyuubi would never take that much and do nothing; he was far too arrogant and proud. That's when he realized the horrible truth; he had abandoned his own son to the wolves.

After that, he had changed his plans. He would make it up to his son and do what every parent wanted. He would give his son the world. There was only one way to do that. He would give his son the power of all the Bijuu and make him a living god. Each of the Bijuu gave their host some special ability. Kyuubi gave Naruto powerful healing abilities and the host of the four tails could combine different elemental chakras. Imagine what would happen if all of them were in one host and he had full access to their power.

And when it was done, he would let his son judge him.

Now that plan was gone. His son had died by the hands of the Leaf's Uchiha. He wanted the blood of the bastrads that had betrayed him and his son. That was what this war was really about. They had stolen his dream for his son. His chance at redemption.

Now, it seemed that the Uchiha was taking his followers.

But this wasn't over, not by a long shot. He would live and fight back. He still had three followers left that were loyal to him. He would not rest until his son's death had been avenged. It was the very least he could do.

---

"Mai-chan, are you sure they will be alright?" asked Naruto for the hundredth time. They were just outside the city. It had been two days since the attack on both Zanku and Asahi. Zanku had a number of broken bones and was suffering from minor chakra depletion. Asahi had just barely gotten the antidote in time and it would take a while for her to heal completely.

"Hai Naruto-kun," said Mai. "They just need to take it easy for the next couple of days and no fighting or training for at least two weeks."

"That's bullshit!" yelled Zanku. This earned him a hit on the head by Naruto.

"What have I said about swearing in front of Asahi," he said. "Listen, you both don't have my healing powers so just take it easy until you are both in tip-top shape."

"Yosh!" yelled Yoen. "AND I SHALL BE HERE TO HELP EVERY STEP OF THE WAY!"

"THAT'S MY ADORABLE STUDENT!" yelled Ranshin. With that, they began to hug each other and the setting sun with waves crashing on the beach appeared behind them.

"RANSHIN-SENSEI!"

"YOEN!"

"RANSHIN-SENSEI!"

"YOEN!"

"RANSHIN-SENSEI!"

"YOEN!"

"I think I'm feeling worse," whined Asahi.

"What the fuck is wrong with you two?" demanded Zanku.

"Yes," said a new voice. "What is wrong with them?" They all turned to face a boy that looked about 21 years old. He had short brown hair and narrow eyes. In his hair were three feathers. He wore tan colored Taoist robes and on his chest was the silver boar. On his hands were thick gloves and on his shoulder was a large hawk.

"Aw shit," said Zanku. "We don't need this right now." Before he could say anymore, Naruto moved in front of him and stared at the newcomer.

"You are a member of the Inoshishi bandit gang," said Naruto as he narrowed his eyes to give them a more threatening appearance. "Who are you and will you please leave peacefully?"

"My, what manners," said the Boar bandit with a smile on his face. "I can't believe that he said please. Well, to answer the first question, I am called Choukan. As for the second, I am sorry but I can't. After all, it would look bad if the number two man of the Inoshishi gang just left."

"Number two eh," said Naruto with a smirk. He then folded his arms. "I'm surprised it took this long for the stronger ones to take me seriously."

"Not at all Kitsune-sennin," said Choukan. "You see, we had other matters that demanded our attention and my presence was needed there. Inoshishi-sama wanted to kill you himself, but I insisted that I do it."

Naruto could tell that there was something off about this guy. To be more precise, it was his smile. Something about it seemed to be fake. Like it was being forced or something. Before Naruto could think about it any further, someone new came onto the scene.

"Never thought I would see you here Choukan-san," said Yokaze. Naruto turned to see a guy wearing a tiger patterned vest and similar baggy pants with curly red hair and light green eyes.

"Yokaze-san, the number two of the Tora bandits," said Choukan. "Well, well, this is something. Here we thought that we would kill the Kitsune-sennin first, right Tsuishi?" The hawk gave a loud squawking sound.

Naruto looked calm on the outside. The inside, however, was a different story. _Shit! How am I supposed to beat two of the three number two's at once? On top of that, Asahi and Zanku are in no condition to fight and might be taken as hostages .I'll have to play this really carefully._

"Mai-chan," he said in a serious tone. "Please watch Zanku and Asahi. Ranshin, do you think that you and your student can hold one of them off for me while I handle the other?" A stupid question really.

"YOSH," cheered Ranshin. "ME AND MY ADORABLE STUDENT WOULD LOVE TO ASSIST YOU IN THIS VERY YOUTHFUL BATTLE!"

"Right," said Naruto as he sweat dropped. "I'll take Choukan. There is something…familiar about him." With that, Naruto ran in a direction away from the other. Choukan followed him leaving Mai and the others alone with Yokaze. No one noticed, however, two other figures following Naruto and Choukan. They were Junpuu and one of his underlings.

"I more of a quality over quantity type of person," said Yokaze as he looked at his opponents. He was not impressed at the fact that he was fighting an old man and his mini me. "Oh well, I can always hope that Choukan-teme fails. Then I get to kill that bastard fox!"

"I will not let that happen," said Ranshin as he got into the same fighting stance as Gai and Lee. "Yoen, we must be very careful and wait for the right moment to show our hands."

"Hai sensei," said Yoen as a bone spike appeared in both of his hands.

For a moment, no one moved. The first to move was always in the worst position. Why you ask? Because, if the opponent sees your move he or she will stand a better chance at countering it and then striking back. At that point, the enemy is closer and will have a slimmer chance at blocking. If the attack is long range, it is the same. The silence was broken when Yokaze sighed.

"If you don't mind, I'll start this." With that, Yokaze raised his right hand and what his opponents saw caused them to gasp. On his palm was a hole that went right into his arm. Skin flaps seemed to open and close this hole like automatic sliding doors. "**Reppuushou!**" With that, the hole stayed open as a powerful burst of air shot out of it. Ranshin and Yoen dodged the attack and watched it as the wind attack punctured several trees leaving holes in them.

Yoen turned to his opponent and retracted his spikes. "**Hessendan!**" With that, Yoen began to launch his finger bullets at Yokaze. At the same time Ranshin was racing towards the Tora at an incredible speed. He raised his fist to strike his opponent and was about to connect when Yokaze said, "**Futon: Fujinheki!**" A wall of wind surrounded him and blocked the attacks and sent Ranshin flying away. When the wind defense ended, Yokaze raised his left hand at Ranshin and said, "**Gufuu Kirite!**" This time the hole was not completely opened. A thin slit was the only opening for the wind to come out. Ranshin saw the thin wind blade coming towards him too late. He managed to move so it didn't kill him, but it made a large cut on the side of his waist.

"Sensei!" yelled Yoen. He then ran over to his sensei.

_Shit_, thought Zanku._ The old freak is too fucking old. Now, Yoen has to worry about his sensei and the rest of us. We are more of a burden than Naruto thought. How the hell are we going to get out of this one?_

"It's over," said Yokaze as he stared at his opponents. Ranshin had his arm over Yoen's shoulder and was trying to stand. Now Yokaze raised his hand and yelled, "**Reppuushou!**" Yoen closed his eyes as he prepared himself for the end and missed seeing Mai appear in front of them. Mai yelled, "**Suiton: Suijinheki!**" Water came out of her mouth and created a wall that protected them from the attack.

"We're not done yet," she said when the jutsu was finished. She turned to Yoen, who had opened his eyes when he heard her attack, and took Ranshin from him. "You distract him while I heal him. I'll join you when I'm done." Yoen nodded and faced Yokaze with a look of utter determination.

---

With Naruto, the battle was just beginning. Naruto had made sure that there was a large distance between the two groups. Now, the fight began as Naruto attempted a left hook on his opponent. Choukan dodged it by leaning back. As he did that, he reached for a feather on his head and said, "**Hane no Tsurugi!**" The feather became longer, harder, and sharper. He then trusted the sword forward to pierce Naruto. Naruto, in response, quickly grabbed his hat and put it in front of him. The blade cut right through it and then he pulled the hat to his right, away from his body and with his free hand punched Choukan in the face. The two broke away and stared at each other.

Choukan was very surprised, that attack usually caught his opponent off guard and allowed him to finish them quickly. Not only had it been deflected, but countered as well.

"You know," said a smiling Choukan, "I know almost everything about you. I have had Tsuishi watch you for years and I was able to learn a great deal. I know your jutsu, the people who are close to you, even your favorite food. But, one thing has escaped me that I am dying to know. What is your name?"

"Naruto Uzumaki," replied the proclaimed Kitsune-sennin.

"Maelstrom Spiral," said Choukan. "You were named well. Now, let's enjoy this battle."

"I bet we will," said Naruto with a serious look. "But, drop the mask. I know that you are just hiding behind that smile."

At first, nothing happened. Then, the smile of Choukan's face vanished. His eyes turned into a glare and the rest of his face was neutral, giving him a dangerous expression.

"Only seasoned fighters have been able to tell that my smile was fake," said Choukan.

"I don't know about that," said Naruto. "I knew what it was because I wore the same smile for years. I grew up in a place that hated my very existence and did everything in it's power to make my life hell. Eventually, I decided to hide my true feelings behind a mask that was my smile. I don't think that anyone was able to figure it out. Everyone just assumed that I was an idiot and didn't question it."

"Then you and I are the same," said Choukan. "I grew up with hatred. Because of the bandit gangs, the former Emperor of Virgo ordered that each clan send a member to him, to be trained as a soldier. My parents sent me because they didn't want to risk _their_ lives. I was four then and begged the soldiers not to take me. My own mother slapped me just to shut me up. All I was to them was a ticket out of service.

"I was nothing more than a weapon to the people of Virgo. I was trained to hunt down and kill bandit gangs and live only for the Emperor. Then I met him, Inoshishi-sama."

"He saw you for what you really were," said Naruto. He received a nod from Choukan. "I never thought I would meet someone so much like me or Gaara here. If this is going to be anything like our fight, this will be fun." Choukan smirked.

"I couldn't agree more. **Juu Baika no Jutsu!**" Up in the air Tsuishi grew in size until he was large enough to ride on. The bird swooped down and Choukan jumped onto its back when it got close enough. The two of them flew high up into the air and began to circle the fighting area.

Naruto knew this wasn't good. He was primarily a close range fighter with a few mid-ranged jutsu. But this guy, it seemed that he was well suited in close, mid, and long range combat. But then again, as the saying goes, jack of all trades and master of none.

Naruto was called out of his thoughts when he heard Choukan shout out, "**Hane Shuriken!**" Tsuishi began to flap his wings and a few dozen feathers shot towards Naruto moving at high speed. Naruto began to do back flips to avoid them and eventually they stopped.

"That's not too shabby," yelled Choukan. "Try this, **Bakuhane Shuriken!**" This time only six feathers shout towards Naruto. This time, however, his dodging didn't get him far enough away. Once the feathers hit the ground, they exploded in a powerful explosion. Naruto was hit with a powerful shockwave that sent the fox boy rolling and didn't notice that Choukan had repeated the attack. The feathers hit the ground all around him and he was submerged in the flames.

Tsuishi flew down as the smoke cleared. Choukan couldn't help but smirk at the figure of Naruto lying on the ground. Now, it was time to collect his head and to earn praise from the only person in the world that he admired. When Tsuishi touched the ground, Choukan canceled the jutsu and had his winged friend return to normal. As he walked to Naruto he grabbed the second feather that was in his hair and created another Hane no Tsurugi. He raised his blade for the killing blow, when the body of Naruto turned into a log!

"What the?!" shouted Choukan. He was answered as five Naruto's shot out of the ground from all directions. The first came from his back and punched him in the back. The second and third turned their attacks into roundhouse kicks. Choukan moved his arms and was able to block them, but not the punches in the gut from Naruto's four and five. Choukan was thrown back several yards by the force of the attack.

However, Naruto was worried. He had made five clones and, if his math was right, there should have been six of him in this attack. The last one should have kicked the bird lover in the head! He canceled the jutsu and the memories of the four clones came back to him. Something was very wrong.

---

Moving away from the battlefield, Junpuu carried Naruto's fifth clone. On its head was a special seal that would keep it from being dispelled from Naruto's end. Oh, he had plans for this clone.

---

"You are very impressive," said Choukan as he slowly got up. That attack hurt like shit. But, he still had an ace or two up his sleeves. He looked up and spotted Tsuishi. An unspoken command was given and the hawk landed on his shoulder. "Now, **Gijyuu Kontserun no Jutsu!**" Smoke covered the Inoshishi bandit and Naruto tensed. He didn't like the sound of that jutsu. When the smoke cleared, his eyes widened. Choukan had undergone an amazing change. On his back were large brown feathery wings, his hair had been replaced with feathers, his eyes were now a golden color, and his hands ended in claws. Choukan then pulled a feather from his head and said, "**Hane no Tsurugi!**"

Naruto let out a growl as he made a hand sign and said, "**Bikoutai: ****Hyouzan!**" With that, his tail became ice and he created two katanas made of ice. He then held them in an X formation. "Lets have some fun."

---

Yoen was now panting hard. For the last several minutes he had been dodging and trying to attack Yokaze. However, every time he tried to get close the Tora bandit would use his Futon: Fujinheki to block his attacks and toss him away. That was not mentioning the large arsenal of powerful wind attacks he had. Yokaze, on the other hand, wasn't even sweating.

"It looks like this is your limit," said Yokaze as he prepared another attack. "Now you…," he began but was cut off by Mai. She shouted, "**Suiton: Hahonryū!**" Water shot out of her hand and was sent at Yokaze at high speeds, hitting him.

"You ok?" she asked as she moved over to Yoen.

"I'll be fine," he said as he allowed her to heal him. "How is Ranshin-sensei?"

"He'll be fine," she said as she concentrated on healing him. "If that last attack had been a few inches deeper there would have been nothing I could have done." Her eyes suddenly widened as a surge of killer intent filled the area. She then pushed Yoen down to the ground as they heard a voice shout, "**Reppuushou!**" The attack missed.

"This will have to do," said Yoen as they stared at the very angry and very wet opponent. "Listen, we have a chance. Wind is weak against fire so if…"

"About that," said Mai sounding a bit embarrassed. "I don't know any fire jutsu."

"What?"

"Well, I grew up on a farm and, well, water jutsu are just more practical. Also, I only inherited my fathers Sharingan, not his chakra type. Mine is his exact opposite, water, from my mother. What about Sawarabi no Mai? Couldn't you just go under him?"

"Why didn't I think of that," said Yoen with a thoughtful look. Mai face faulted at his stupidity. "I need a moment to prepare. Can you give me a moment?" She gave him a nod and then they separated. Mai ran directly behind Yokaze and Yoen moved to the guy's right.

"I don't know what you are planning," said Yokaze. "But, it won't work. **Tatsumaki Tou!**" The Tora bandit began to spin around like a top with his arms moving up and down until he looked like an oddly shaped twister. Then wind blades began to come out from the twister in completely random directions. There were so many that they couldn't be dodged. Mai and Yoen screamed in pain as they were both knocked to the ground.

_This is totally fucked up_, thought Zanku as he watched everything from behind the tree he was hiding behind with Asahi. _I wish I could do something, but what? My bones are still healing and I barely have the strength to lift my sword._

"We aren't done yet," said Mai as she slowly got up. All eyes were now on her. "Naruto told me something his sensei told him. A person's power isn't from their jutsu. It's from the ability to get back up over and over again."

"What foolishness," said Yokaze as he raise a hand at her. "Look at you. You may have a good shot at me, but don't let that get to your head. The one with power is always the stronger and strength comes from jutsu!" Before he could say any more, a rumbling came from the earth, Yokaze looked around and noticed that the person called Yoen was missing.

"Maybe," said Mai. "But our determination has allowed us to use this jutsu AND WIN!" With that, Yoen yelled, "**Sawarabi no Mai!**" All around them, bone spikes shot out of the ground at an incredible speed. Only three spots were left untouched; the area around Mai, around Ranshin, and around Zanku and Asahi. The last they heard of the wind user named Yokaze was his screams as he was impaled by bones.

---

Naruto was trading blow after blow with his opponent. However, Choukan's new form gave him several advantages. The first was flight. The birdman was striking Naruto by shooting into the air and then coming back down at amazing speeds. The others, well…

Choukan was now on the ground running at Naruto. He then gave his wings a flap and yelled, "**Hane Shuriken!**" Naruto began to swing his blades to deflect the feather shurikens, only getting scratched on both arms and scoring a direct hit on his left leg. Naruto quickly made a hand sign and said, "**Bikoutai: Kai!**" and retuned to his normal state.

"Looks like this is the end," said Choukan as he stepped in front of Naruto. "You…were a worthy opponent that I will miss."

"I'm not dead yet," said Naruto with a smirk. Choukan looked puzzled and then noticed something. Naruto was making a Rasengan. But, this was different. It was more white than blue and seemed to be glowing. Naruto's smirk turned into a full blown grin as he tossed the new Rasengan into the air and yelled out it's new name. "**Koushou Rasengan!**" The Rasengan flew several feet into the air and, as Naruto closed his eyes, exploded into a flash of light that blinded Choukan.

"I can't see!" yelled Choukan as he dropped his blade on instinct and raised his hands over his eyes.

"That's the point," said Naruto as he prepared his next attack. He began to get up as he focused his chakra and wind chakra into his palm. Ignoring the pain, he ran towards Choukan and slammed his attack into his opponent's stomach. "**Futon: Rasengan**!" With that, Choukan was sent flying away by the force of this more powerful version of the Rasengan.

When it was over, Naruto reached down and pulled out the Hane Shuriken that was still in his leg. He then slowly limped over to where Choukan had landed. He had cuts all over his body and Naruto could see the spot where he had struck. But, Naruto had toned down the attack so that Choukan wasn't dead.

"Why?" asked the number two of the Inoshishi gang. "Why didn't you kill me?"

"That's not what I do," said Naruto. "And, I could never kill someone who has felt the same pain I have felt. I know that this Inoshishi-sennin is your precious person and you will go right back to him. But…perhaps we might become friends."

"Friends," laughed Choukan as he coughed up some blood. "You are a weird person Naruto-sama. You nearly kill a person and then ask to be their friend. HAHAHAHA (cough)." He then paused for a moment. "Naruto-sama, there is something that you should know. The Panda-sennin is planning to change the way things are. H-He wants to rule and plans on starting by taking over Milky Way by force. Please…stop…him" With that, Choukan went poof and returned to normal. He was alive, but unconscious.

Before Naruto could do or process this new information, pain shot through his head. Naruto began to grab his head and fall to the ground, screaming for the pain to end.

---

A few miles away from the fights, Junpuu was putting the finishing touches to his special jutsu. In front of him were two coffin like containers. In one was Naruto's clone and the other had one of his underlings. He then began to make a long series of hand signs. When it was over he said, "**Kinjutsu Ogi: Kage tame Jinniku no Jutsu!**" When that was done, both coffins began to sink into the earth. Now, he had to wait for them to merge.

This was the ultimate way to use a Kage Bunshin. This jutsu created a living, breathing doppelganger of the original caster. He would be an exact double except for a few things. The first would be that he would be the same chakra type as the sacrifice. Another would be that he could live for nothing else but to kill his original and claim everything that the original possessed. This and the sacrifice were the reasons that it was considered forbidden.

The coffin slowly began to rise from the ground. When it was finished, the lid fell to the ground and a naked, red-slitted eyed version of Naruto fell out of the coffin. He looked panicked, but couldn't move.

"The first few minutes are always the toughest," said Junpuu as he slowly walked over to the naked figure. "You are real now, with a life all your own. Do you have a name? No? Well then I will name you Ukiyo, 'fleeting life'. Now, what do you wish?"

"To kill Naruto Uzumaki and claim everything that is his," said Ukiyo. "There can only be one."

Translations: (Thank you Dirty Reid and Dragon Noir)

Beast Double Body Jutsu: Juu Baika no jutsu

Feather Shuriken: Hane Shuriken

Man Beast Merging: Gijyuu Kontserun no jutsu

Feather Sword: Hane no Tsurugi

Exploding Feather Shuriken: Bakuhane Shuriken

Wind Wall: Futon: Fujinheki

Hurricane Cutter: Gufuu Kirite

Tornado Sickles: Tatsumaki Tou

Gale Force Thrust: Reppuushou

Forbidden Art: Shadow to Flesh Jutsu: Kinjutsu Ogi: Kage tame Jinniku no jutsu

Shining Rasengan: Koushou Rasengan

Tail Shift: Iceberg: Bikoutai: Hyouzan

Kyuubi Fanatic – Read and Review dear readers. Darthvalgaav put a lot of hard work into this chapter, so show him some love OK?


	11. Chapter 11

Well, there have been some interesting twists to the manga lately. The entire last arc was all about Sasuke and we finally found out a tiny bit more about the leader. This looks like my theory on Naruto's dad was wrong seeing that he is a Rain-nin. At least in this story. Well, I guess that's why they call it fan fiction.

There will be about three more chapters until this arc ends so please be patient. I know a lot of you want to see Naruto return back to his village and kick Sasuke's ass and have him meet his father. I am writing as fast as I can between work and the other things in my life so please stay calm and quit asking me "When will Naruto return to the Leaf Village?" I will tell you all this, you will all hate Kakashi on a whole new level when he does.

I also got some raised eyebrows at the fact that Mai isn't a fire type. My explanation for this is that she inherited her fathers Sharingan and her mother's chakra type. Since fire and water are enemies, so to speak, she would have a harder time learning fire jutsus than any other. Also, on a farm, water is needed more than fire as well. Plus, it makes her that much different from the other Uchiha's that we have seen in the canon.

Before I begin, I have a question. Do you all enjoy the side trips back to the Elemental Countries? I did it to be different, ya know? Sort of a what's going on back home and how things are different now that they all think Naruto is dead. Just give me your honest opinion on it.

* * *

Gaara was sitting behind his desk as he did what all the Kages had to do; paperwork. Why did he, the most powerful shinobi in the village, have to do this? Where was the logic? He should be out there doing missions and helping his comrades. But no, he was stuck doing paperwork and going to dinner functions. He had gone from a dangerous killer to a politician. Wait, is there a difference?

"Oh Gaara-kun," cooed the seductive voice of Hinata. Gaara looked up and saw that his girlfriend was in his office wearing a light blue bikini. All the air escaped from Gaara as she slowly walked over to him in a sexy fashion.

"H-Hinata-chan," Gaara finally managed to say, but was interrupted from saying anything else as she placed a finger over his lips.

"You know," she said and she leaned closer to him, "we have been very naughty for having Tsunade-sama lie for us."

"What d-do you mean?" asked a nervous Gaara.

"Remember what she said she was going to tell everyone about us? How she found us making love on your desk? Well, as Kazekage, you can not allow her to lie for you. It would be morally wrong. Luckily, I have a solution." With that, Hinata got on the desk and lied down on her side facing Gaara. "Let's not make her a liar."

"But isn't this morally wrong too?" asked a scared Gaara. He could handle fighting a hundred shinobi no problem. He could look death in the face and not flinch. But, Hinata acting like this was scary.

"Please," begged Hinata. That's when all of Gaara's defenses came down and he couldn't take it anymore. He began to move towards Hinata when he felt his body shake and…he was awakened from his daydream.

"Gaara-kun, are you alright?" asked Hinata. "I came to drop off some more papers for you to sign and I saw you staring into space. Is your nose bleeding?"

"No," said Gaara quickly as he hid his nose from Hinata. Looking a bit confused, Hinata shrugged it off and left Gaara alone.

---

In the Leaf village, Tsunade had just finished writing a letter to her old teammate. There was something that she had to talk to him about. She had asked him in her letter to meet her by a bridge that she had read about in Team 7's mission reports from when they went to Wave. She made sure in the letter that he knew that this was a serious matter.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," she said. A moment later, Kiba walked in with Akamaru close behind him.

"You wanted to see us?" he asked.

"Yes," said Tsunade as she leaned forward and got into her business mode. "I have decided to make you the new liaison between us and Cloud. The latest news has me worried and I believe we will need allies. You will be relaying messages back and forth as we try to work out an alliance against the Sound."

"What happened?" asked Kiba.

"Waterfall has fallen," said Tsunade. "It was taken down by Sasuke and Sasori. I believe that they will attack the weaker villages and incorporate their forces into their own before they make their move on the larger villages."

"But how could two people take down an entire village?" demanded Kiba.

"Waterfall is the weakest and smallest of all of the shinobi villages," explained Tsunade. "If I had to guess they only had about 20 to 30 low level jonins in their forces and no one of Kage level in the last 50 or so years. Sasuke knew how to get into the village from a previous mission and Sasori is the greatest puppet master ever. It is said that he destroyed an entire country by himself."

"So we are going to take that bastard down?" asked a hopeful Kiba. He wanted nothing more right now then to find Sasuke and rip out what was left of his heart for what he had done to his mother.

"Sadly no," said Tsunade with a sigh. "Right now, only we and Sand see him as a threat. The other villages, however, don't see this as their problem and won't do anything until something happens to them. Also, the council believes that we will be able to take down the Sound when they decide to attack us. They hope that Sasuke will first take down all of the smaller nations and when we defeat them, we will acquire more territory." Tsunade then leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling. "They are fools. Sasuke will attack us last after he has taken over every other shinobi nation." She then looked to see that Kiba was still there. "Well, what the hell are you waiting for? Get your ass to Cloud now!"

---

"Are you sure we fuckin need to see her?" asked Zanku for the tenth time. It had been about a week since their encounter with the two number two's of the Tora and Inoshishi gangs. They were now back in the town of Algol. The hot spring hot spot hadn't changed a bit since they had last visited. Like most tourist traps, it was composed of hotels, restaurants and cafés, and gift shops.

"Do you know any other Panda members?" asked Naruto as they walked down the streets. Every once and a while they would stop and stare at a person to check them out.

"She might not even be fucking here," insisted Zanku. "Why would she stay here? After what that bitch did to this place?"

"Listen," said Naruto as he turned to face Zanku. "I know what you are saying but we need information. That was something I learned a few years ago back home." Zanku then grabbed Naruto by his trench coat.

"How do you know that Choukan wasn't lying to you shithead?" he asked in a serious tone.

"That's why we need to find out," said Naruto as he knocked Zanku's hands off of his jacket. "If he was then we get a trip to the hot springs and a good laugh. But, if he was telling the truth, then we need to make sure that we get enough information." He then felt a tug on his coat. "Yes Asahi?" he asked as he looked down.

"I'm thirsty," said Asahi. Naruto hung his head.

"Alright," he said. "We'll get a drink and then start looking for her."

"That is a good idea," said Yoen. "Let us get a drink to replenish our youthful energy."

"THAT'S MY ADORABLE STUDENT!" yelled Ranshin. With that, they began to hug each other and the setting sun with waves crashing on the beach appeared behind them.

"RANSHIN-SENSEI!"

"YOEN!"

"RANSHIN-SENSEI!"

"YOEN!"

"RANSHIN-SENSEI!"

"YOEN!"

After the sickening hug fest was over they then entered the first café they saw. It was a small place that had an outdoor area with umbrellas over the tables. Vines covered the wall and there were a verity of exotic plants everywhere. The waitresses were wearing uniforms that seemed to be more of the sailor girl uniform style. But, it did attract a lot of male costumers. The group was seated next to some familiar faces.

"Naruto-kun," cried out Mamizu, Kachuu, Resshin, and Aori in unison. In a flash faster than any jutsu known to man they left their seats and were now hanging onto Naruto from all sides. This, of course, caused Mai's eye to twitch.

"The Hyuga pimp strikes again," laughed Zanku.

"What's a pimp?" asked Asahi. Before Zanku could answer, Mai covered his mouth and gave a nervous laugh.

"It's nothing sweetie," she said. She then turned her attention to the other Hyuga's. "Would you _please_ get off my boyfriend?" The four girls turned their attention to her direction and saw something else to grab: Asahi.

"Look at her."

"She's gotten so big."

"Do you like candy sweet heart?"

"I really hate them," whined Mai as she watched them bond with Asahi.

"There, there," said Naruto as he tried to calm her down. That's when a waitress walked up behind them.

"Could you all keep it down," she said in an all too familiar voice. When Naruto turned around, the waitress jumped back and pointed an accusing finger at Naruto. "YOU!"

"Hello Héng Wǔ," said Naruto as he gave her a grin and motioned for her to sit with them. "You're just the person we were looking for. Please sit down." With a reluctant sigh, Héng took the last seat.

"Just make this quick," she said heatedly. "It was hard just to get this job and I don't want to lose it."

"Shouldn't you be in a fucking jail cell?" asked Zanku with an icy stare.

"I got out for good behavior," replied Héng. "I just can't leave this village and I have to keep this job. Now get to the point."

"Very well," said Naruto. "I want you to tell us everything you know about an invasion plan by the Panda-sennin." At that, Héng smirked.

"So that baka is still going through with that plan of his," she said in an amused tone. "Very well, I'll talk. As you all know, the three sennins control their own armies and can summon very large creatures. However, they have never made a grab for power because the other Dynasties would go on an all out war and eradicate them. The three original sennins knew this and made a pack that if one should ever try to take over a Dynasty; the other two were to stop them. This has always been the only rule that all three sennins follow.

"However, the Panda-sennin and his snaky apprentice have never had any intention of following this rule. Since Junpuu-sama came to power, he has made no secret of his plans to rule over all the Dynasties and later the world to his forces. And the key part of his plan is to take over Milky Way first."

"Why's that?" asked Mai. Héng rolled her eyes.

"Because of its location. Pegasus, the home of the Panda, is mostly desert and inland. Milky Way has ocean front property on two of its borders and rich soil along with plenty of natural recourses. It also has a powerful navy that Junpuu-sama wants to take advantage of.

"The plan was to position ourselves in several key villages and silently take them over. Once that was completed, a large army was to make its way into the Dynasty. Once they got into a fight with the army, those in the villages were to make our way to the capital and take it over. The key thing was to do this quickly without having the other sennins catching wind of it and stopping us. If you are asking about it then they must have figured it out. But, it makes no difference."

"Why do you say that?" asked Naruto.

"Because of you," said Héng. "The other two sennins have been wasting their forces trying to kill you while the Panda hasn't. In the past three years the number of bandit members that have been sent to jail has never been greater. According to the newspapers, never before in the history of this continent have the prisons been as full as they are because of you. Makes you feel all warm and tingly inside now doesn't it?"

"Do you know when and where the invasion will take place?" asked Naruto. Héng shook her head.

"Sorry, I've been out of the loop for too long. I suggest…," sadly Héng was cut off as she became aware they were now surrounded. However, this time it wasn't by bandits like they normally were. This time, it was the military. Each one of them was carrying a sword, some sabers and others samurai, and were wearing a red uniform under a chest plate and arm guards. Their leader stood in front of them. His uniform was the same except he had on a helmet. He had a thin black mustache and yellow eyes. If Naruto had to guess he was about 32.

"Kitsune-sennin, we are here to place you under arrest," he said in a voice of authority. "You will come with us and await your execution." Naruto got into a thinking position and then moved his right hand to his lip and started to tap it.

"Hmm…nope," he said at last. "I don't feel like it."

"This is a decree from the Emperor," said the same soldier again. "All people who can summon are to be executed for the safety of the people. If you do not comply under your own free will then we will take you by force."

"Are you kidding us?" yelled a pedestrian. It was then that everyone noticed that a large crowd had gathered. "We pay the Emperor our taxes and then he punishes the person doing what he doesn't do."

"He's a hero," shouted another. Soon, there were many more people shouting and some of them began to throw food at the soldiers. As the soldiers tried to send away the crowd, Naruto smiled at the general.

"What's your name?" asked Naruto.

"Excuse me?"

"Your name," repeated Naruto. The soldier made a face as he gritted his teeth.

"I am Hanabunta-daishou," he said at last. That's when it started. There was the sound of someone holding back their laughter. It was Zanku who broke first.

"Your fuckin (ha-ha) name is Flower (ha-ha) Boss?" When Hanabunta nodded, everyone broke down in laughter.

"IT'S NOT THAT FUNNY!" shouted Hanabunta as he did a demon head jutsu. This, however, had no effect on them. A moment later, however, Naruto's face became serious. He then jumped towards Hanabunta and knocked him down while yelling to everyone else to get down. Mamizu, Kachuu, Resshin, Aori, Héng, Asahi, Zanku, Yoen, Ranshin, and Mai dove to the ground just as several clumps of iron sand shot at them and killing Hanabunta's men.

"Well that's a pity," said a new voice from across the street. "**Satetsu Shigure **was a miss." Naruto and everyone else looked up to see who said that. What they saw was frightening. He stood with a hunched back, covered with bandages from head to toe. He wore a heavy fur coat with a large blue jar strapped to his back. He was missing his lips so his front teeth could easily be seen. His blood red eyes stared at them in a piercing fashion. Cradled in his left arm was a half burned doll. "Don't worry Rei-chan," he said to his doll. "Daddy will make it all better." Naruto was the first to stand up to face him. He looked around for a moment before he spoke.

"I have been told that the Inoshishi-sennin uses iron sand," said Naruto as he pointed to a pile of iron sand that had fallen apart after that last attack. "So, you must be him." Upon hearing that, the people who had stayed were now running for their lives.

"The Kitsune-sennin," said the other sennin. "I have waited a long time to see you. Even longer than I have wanted to kill you. You have become far too strong and I will not allow you to continue living. After I kill you I will deal with the Panda-baka."

"I'm a bit curious on how you found me," said Naruto. "I mean, first the military and then you. I never told anyone where I was planning on going." The Inoshishi-sennin smirked as he pulled out a green newsletter.

"I simply picked this up from one of your fangirls," he said as Naruto sweat dropped. Naruto then faced Hanabunta.

"My little sister is a fan," he said as he looked away. "When the Emperor told me to arrest you I snuck into her room and took her newsletter." Naruto turned back to the Inoshishi-sennin and began to rub his temples.

"I knew that thing was trouble," he said. Naruto would have said more, but the Inoshishi-sennin was done with being polite. He moved so fast and without warning that Naruto didn't have time to put up his guard and was hit with the bandaged man's free fist. The force of the attack sent Naruto into the wall of the café and two more loud crashes were heard.

"See Rei-chan," said the Inoshishi-sennin as he looked down at the doll. "Daddy took care of the big mean fox. Yes he did." He was interrupted as a large blue chakra claw shot out of the hole and grabbed him as Naruto shouted "**Juutsume!**" The attack sent the mummy man across the street and into the building behind him and kept on going. When the attack died and the crashes stopped, Naruto walked out of the hole in the café. He had a bruise on his cheek where the Inoshishi-sennin had hit him and his clothing had holes all over and he was missing his hat.

"Three walls," breathed Naruto as he spat out some blood. "I went through three walls thanks to that attack. I guess I'll have to be serious."

"So will I," said the voice of the Inoshishi-sennin. A moment later he walked out of his hole with large gashes on his sides. Also, his fur coat was cut in half and his vase was missing. "It will take more than one arm to defeat you it seems. I, Oninenshou, will not lose."

With that, the two began to get ready. Naruto took off his trench coat and then he took off the weights on his arms, legs, and chest for a grand total of 1050 pounds. Oninenshou merely set his doll down on the ground and then created a dome around it made of his iron sand.

"Hey, what's up with that doll?" asked Héng to the Hyuga sisters.

"I don't know," replied Mamizu in a quite tone. "All we know is that anyone who even looked at it funny was killed on sight."

"Let's begin," said Naruto once they were both done. At that, the two charged at each other and collided in the middle of the dirt street. Naruto started with a right hook which his opponent dodged. Oninenshou then tried a left jab, but Naruto ducked downward to try a leg sweep. Seeing this, the Inoshishi-sennin jumped in the nick of time and landed a kick on Naruto that sent Naruto several yards back. As Naruto flew back he began to make hand signs and when he finished (and stopped flying backwards) he slammed both of his palms onto the ground and yelled, "**Doton: Koketsu!**" Around Oninenshou, small earth spikes surrounded him in an oval like shape with him in the middle. Not one touched him.

"Hmp, what the hell was that kid?" asked Oninenshou. He then lifted his foot to take a step when the earth on both sides snapped shut on him like he was standing in the middle of a bear trap that took the shape of a foxes head. Naruto looked at the 'teeth' and saw that one of them was dripping blood. Walking over, he made the hand signs to cancel out the jutsu and what he saw was the body of his enemy dissolving into a pile of iron sand.

"A clone," gasped Naruto as Oninenshou, who had a cut on his right leg, shot out of the ground behind him and delivered a punch on the base of his neck. However, Naruto vanished in a cloud of white smoke. A moment later he heard Naruto yell, "**Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**" as a hundred clones appeared in the area.

"Hide and seek, is it?" asked Oninenshou. "Fine, but lets play for keeps. **Kyoshi Denrei!**" With that, the iron sand began to collect and form three spinning disks. Once they were done forming, they shot out at the Naruto's and destroyed about twenty-six of them in one pass. Then, they turned around and came back through the Naruto's and when they reached their owner they began to hover around him. "I can keep this up all day. Kyoshi Denrei is like having remote controlled flying blades of death that I can continue to use as long as I have chakra." The blades shot out again and the clones did their best to dodge. But in the end, they couldn't escape the triple threat. Then, the real Naruto and one of his clones shot towards him with a large blue ball. Acting on instinct, Oninenshou created a Satetsu rectangle and placed it in front of him. When the attack hit the rectangle Naruto yelled out, "**Ōdama Rasengan!**" and left a huge crater that was visible when the smoke cleared. Naruto and Oninenshou were now at a distance from each other.

"That was too close for comfort," said Oninenshou to himself. "How many Rasengans does that that gaki have?" He then moved his hand to one of his wounds and whipped some of the blood onto his hand. "**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**" There was a large puff and a moment later the bandaged man was standing on the head of the boss boar, Setsuen. The boar was about 47 m tall and had a cigar in his mouth. His massive body had destroyed many of the building when he was summoned. Luckily for Naruto, the others had gotten away before the boar boss appeared.

"If that's the way you want to play," said Naruto as he bit his thumb, "then fine. **Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**" With that, Naruto summoned a 50 m tall red fox. Its tail had a white tip and its paws were black.

"**Here's Loki!**" announced the fox summon. "**Now, where are the girls?**"

"I didn't summon you to do anything perverted," said Naruto as he stared at his opponents. "I need a hand against these two."

"**But I want to peek on the ladies**," whined the fox boss like a two year old.

"**You never change**," said Setsuen. He then took a puff from his cigar and blew the smoke on Naruto and Loki. "**The same old baka as ever. You degrade yourself by lusting after human women.**"

"**At least it's better than being a chain smoker**," replied Loki as his eyes narrowed. "**You know what kit; I was feeling like bacon today anyways**."

"It seems like our summons would like to start," said Oninenshou. Then he spread his arms out to perform a jutsu that would make him unstoppable. In the ruins of the town below, all metal seemed to explode until it became sand like and began to float towards him. "**Yoroi no Satetsu!**" With that, the iron sand began to build up on the boars' body giving it a chest plate, arm guards, and two axe like blades on its sides.

"Oh shit," said Naruto.

"**You can say that again kit,**" said Loki.

That's when the boar charged at the two. Loki jumped to his left and just barely missed the blades on his sides. Loki responded by trying to get at the boars neck, but Setsuen saw this and yelled, "**Katon: Butaka no jutsu!**" From the pigs' mouth, flames shot out covering everything. Loki yipped in pain and jumped back. The town of Algol was now destroyed.

"I hate it when you use that jutsu," said the Inoshishi-sennin to his summon.

"**Would you like it if I left?**" asked Setsuen in an irritated fashion. Oninenshou was about to respond, but Naruto cut him off.

"Why? Why do you hate that jutsu?"

"It reminds me of the past," said Oninenshou. "I'm sure by now you know about the pain that has been going on Virgo. I was 19 when it started. I had just married and had a baby daughter. I was a simple farmer back then who used his bloodline to fix tools and help plow the fields.

"Then the soldiers came and demanded that either I or my daughter had to go with them soon to become part of the Emperors army. They wanted to fight fire with fire and didn't care about the right we the people had. So, I spoke out to the people. I told them to resist the Emperor on this and not have families separated. I didn't want to miss seeing my little girl growing up and I knew others felt the same."

"Is that why you joined the bandits?" asked Naruto.

"No kid," said Oninenshou as he shook his head. "What happened next made me decide to become a bandit. You see, the Emperor didn't like what I was saying and that people were following my example. So he made an example of me. On the eve of my daughters first birthday, I was heading back home after buying her a brand new doll. When I got close enough to see my house, I saw that it was in flames. I ran as fast as I could, b-but it was too late. The soldiers tied me to a tree and made me watch and forced me to listen to their s-screams. Then, t-they tried to burn me alive.

"Somehow I survived, how I will never know. All I knew from that day on was that I wanted revenge. I joined up with the Inoshishi Bandits and soon became the apprentice to the previous sennin. I wanted to make them suffer, all them Emperors! None of them are innocent. They sit in their castles and sit on their fancy thrones while the rest of us suffer. They never have to know a day of hard work and they take from us without care. So, I'll make their lives as painful by being the thorn they will never be able to remove. I try to save the few I can like Choukan, but it's usually too late. They are already mindless robots."

"That doll…" began Naruto but Oninenshou cut him off.

"No more talking!" he shouted. "Use that jutsu again!" The boar nodded and yelled, "**Katon: Butaka no jutsu!**" as Oninenshou sent clumps of Satetsu into the flames and yelled, "**Katon: Hyokaidan!**" Molten balls of iron shot out of the flame and hit Loki. Loki yipped in pain as the iron burned and hardened at the same time. When the attack was over, Setsuen had lost his armor but Loki was now half covered in iron.

"Loki!" shouted Naruto. Loki had both his front legs covered along with his chest as well as his right side and tail.

"**I'll be fine kit**," said Loki with gritted teeth. "**Just finish this.**"

"Right," said Naruto as he made up his mind. He knew what he had to do; take that hog down. Naruto made the hand sign and yelled, "**Bikoutai: Tatsumaki!**" and then flew into the air. Once he was right over his opponent's summon, he released his wind form and began to fall downwards. Along the way down, Naruto prepared his deadliest jutsu that he had mastered.

"What's that?" cried Oninenshou when he saw the attack that Naruto was preparing. At first, he saw Naruto's left arm begin to glow a bright blue. Then the Rasengan formed in his hand, but it was different. And what made it different made his blood run cold. It was shaped like a four pointed shuriken. Every nerve in his body told him to run before it was too late. It yelled to him that he would die if he stayed. Following these impulses, the Inoshishi-sennin jumped off his summon a moment before impact occurred and Naruto yelled, "**Fūton: Rasenshuriken!**" That's when the dome appeared around Setsuen and the wind chakra began to slash at him at the cellular level. After a moment he went puff and he was lucky that he did. In that one moment, several nerves were cut and there was damage done to most of his vital organs. If he had stayed any longer, he would have died.

Oninenshou fell to the ground hard followed by Naruto a few moments later. Neither of them had thought about how they would land and landed hard. Oninenshou hit the ground harder and had broken a few ribs. What was worse was that he had no chakra left. He felt so weak that he couldn't move. Naruto landed with only a couple of bruises and a sprained ankle. He slowly picked himself up and started to crawl out of the crater his jutsu had made and began to slowly limp over to Oninenshou who looked upon him with fear.

"No," cried the Inoshishi-sennin. "Stay back. What are you?" Naruto stopped at that and then reached down to pick up Oninenshou's doll.

"Rei was your daughter's name," said Naruto as he stared at the doll for a moment.

"Please," begged Oninenshou as tears fell from him eyes. "That's all I have left of her. That is more precious to me than all the gold in the world. Please." That's when the others came.

"Why should he listen to you?" yelled Hanabunta. "After everything you have done we should smash that thing in front of you and piss on its remains!"

"Please," begged Oninenshou, never taking his eyes off of Naruto. "Please."

Naruto said nothing for a while. Then, he limped over to the fallen-sennin and placed the doll next to him. He then turned and began to walk away.

"What are you doing?!" yelled Hanabunta. "This monster killed my men. He's killed hundreds. I don't know what kind of sob story he told you but it doesn't change the fact of what he's done."

"Shut up," said Naruto as he stopped. Mai came over to him and began to heal his leg. "I try not to lower myself by killing a man who is begging for mercy. And after what he has been through, I think he deserves a little mercy. Besides, you need to tell the Emperor about the invasion that will be taking place. We just need the when and where."

"Two weeks," said Oninenshou. Everyone turned around to look at the Inoshishi-sennin who was now curled up into a ball to protect his doll. "At the Pass of Beginnings during the festival. That's when it will take place."

Naruto nodded and then summoned a horse sized fox and ordered it to take Oninenshou to whenever he wanted to. The fox summon obeyed and soon the two of them were gone.

---

Ukyo was in a fit of rage. Something was wrong, very wrong. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't summon.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" he asked himself aloud.

"I can explain," said Junpuu.

Why can't Ukyo summon foxes like Naruto? Will Naruto be able to defeat the Tora-sennin or will she prove to be much stronger than Oninenshou? What will Naruto do now that the Emperor wants him dead? Please read and review.

Now, it's time for a vote. I want to know who your favorite OC is.

I also have some new ideas for some new fanfics. I am thinking of starting a long Christmas story, A Naruto Christmas Carol. Staring Sasuke as Scrooge. Lots of bashing but a lot of tears. I also got an idea for an ice using Naruto and making Haku his sister. Then there's the idea to remake Bloody or Tails but in the Leaf village. Or the bloodline that makes Naruto into a chick magnet. Or Naruto creating a series of jutsus based on the Rasengan. Maybe Naruto modeled after Jin or Kenshin. Please help me out and vote!

Thanks Dirty Reid for the translations:

Earth Release: Jaws of Death - Doton: Koketsu

Saw tooth Runner- Kyoshi Denrei

Iron Sand Battle Armor- Yoroi no Satetsu

Fire Release: Hog Fire- Katon: Butaka no jutsu

Melting Bullets- Katon: Hyokaidan


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry for the long delay folks! I had a writing assignment for my creative writing class and decided to kill two birds with one stone. I hope this gets an A.

Well, things are getting interesting in the manga. It is now official that Naruto's father is the former Yodaime. We also know that the blue haired girls name is Konan and that she is a paper user. Well this kind of ruins my story, but I will continue as planned. After all, this is fanfiction people. I can do whatever I want and no one can stop me. Well, unless you tracked me down and threatened me…but that's not going to happen!

It seems that most of you like the female characters in this story. Well, I was hoping that Zanku would have been picked. Now you have all made him sad (pats Zaku on the back). Anyways, the official winners are the Hyuga sisters.

Naruto: 16

Mai: 16

Zanku: 18

---

Ukyo just stared at Junpuu. Ukyo was now wearing a black t-shirt and baggy black pants. Around his waist was a red sash and from his left shoulder to his right hip was a chain. Junpuu was still in the same outfit that he used to kill his father.

"Well," began Ukyo, "tell me. Why can't I summon foxes like my other half?" Junpuu smirked.

"Because you aren't him," he replied simply. Ukyo narrowed his red eyes at him and Junpuu decided to continue. "Simply put, the sacrifice I used to create you didn't sign the contract with the kitsune clan. You see, that body of yours has the scarifies blood and the sacrifices chakra nature. While you still have the abilities and knowledge of the original, you can't summon anything without signing a contract."

Ukyo gritted his teeth. This meant that he might not even be able to make a wind enhanced rasengan. Now some of his best jutsu's were gone. Not only that, but his original could summon foxes to help him out and he couldn't.

"So then, what's my new element?" asked Ukyo. If it was possible, Junpuu's smirk had gotten bigger.

"Fire," he said simply. Now Ukyo smirked. Fire beats wind. This meant that once he created a fire based Rasengan; it would be superior to Naruto's. Now he knew what he had to focus on. Then Junpuu spoke again. "Shinja will be helping you with your elemental training." With that he left. Ukyo had seen the number two of the Panda-sennin several times. She was 19 and very attractive. And unlike Naruto, he wasn't going to let morals stand in the way of his desires.

---

Kiba wasn't happy. No, he was far from happy. It had taken him five days to get to the Cloud village and now he had been there for two days. During this time he had started up a dialogue between the two villages. It wasn't easy since they were still pissed about the Hyuga incident. However they, unlike the people from the Leaf village, realized the danger they were in if Sasuke decided to attack. Also, if they did fight side by side, it would mean more chances for a Hyuga to 'disappear' from the battle field. Hey, they're persistent. But, that wasn't the cause of Kiba's unhappiness.

"Hurry up dog breath," snarled Yugito Nii, the second most powerful nin in the village, as they headed towards the council chambers. Since the day they met, they had been biting each other's heads off. Something about each other made them act more feral.

"Shut up you mangy cat," growled Kiba (he doesn't know about the demon, her eyes are catlike and she smells like one). Yugito sung around and stared at Kiba.

"What the hell did you call me?" she asked/demanded.

"You heard me!" yelled Kiba. Yugito then hissed and then lunged towards Kiba. Soon they were fighting in a big dust cloud and didn't stop until several jonin's came to stop them.

---

It had been three years since they had last seen each other. They had kept in touch through letters and messengers. But because of Tsunade's job and Jiraya's vow never to enter the village again, meeting face to face was next to impossible. The only reason Tsunade was able to get away was because she had placed Shizune in charge as the temporary Hokage.

In that time, Jiraya hadn't written any of his perverted books. He now seemed older, as if the fire inside of him had died out. But that could be expected when one losses not one but two students. To him, it was as if he had lost the Yodaime all over again.

"What do you want Tsunade?" he asked. He was leaning against the railing of the 'Great Naruto Bridge', staring out at the sea. Neither one faced the other.

"I needed to ask you a favor," she said after awhile.

"You could have just written it," he said.

"This is something that I had to ask for in person," replied Tsunade. "I was wondering if you could find any of Orochimaru's jutsu scrolls." Jiraya raised an eyebrow at this.

"Why would you want those? They are just a bunch of snake related jutsu's and some forbidden…" He stopped there as the truth of her request sunk in. He turned to face her with a look that was a mix of shock and disgust. "No way Tsunade. You can forget about it!" Now the Hokage turned to face him with a pleading look on her face.

"Please Jiraya," she begged. "We could bring him back. We could bring them all back." Jiraya quickly grabbed her shoulders and gave her a good shake.

"They wouldn't want that! Do you think that any of our loved ones would be happy knowing that they could only come back if we sacrificed someone else? For all we know, Naruto and Nawaki are bickering with each other and Dan is doing his best to get them to stop. They are in a better place!"

"But Naruto was different," cried Tsunade. "We don't know how strong the seal was that linked Naruto to Kyuubi. What if they are both in the Shinigami's stomach? And if he is, it's all my fault."

"No it isn't!" shouted Jiraiya. That was when Tsunade broke down. She fell to the ground and began to cry.

"Yes it is," she yelled between her sobs. "I set up that mission! I suggested to Shikamaru that Naruto should go! And I gave him that damn necklace! How can you tell me it's not my fault?" she was quite for a moment as she caught her breath. She then told Jiraiya something that she had never told anyone else before. "Every night I see him Jiraiya. A first, I couldn't remember them and just shrugged them off. But, as time went by, I began to remember my nightmares better and better. He's in that things stomach with the Kyuubi and he's screaming in pain. He just keeps begging for it to end and at the same time knowing that it never will. It's because of me that he's there. I sent him there Jiraiya." She continued to cry for a while until she felt something on her face. Opening her eyes, she saw Jiraiya wiping away her tears.

"I'm sorry I shouted at you," he said softly. "But I am right because it isn't your fault. In the short time you both knew each other; you developed a deep bond and helped the other. It was because of Naruto that you got your life back on track instead of wasting it in a casino. And you believed in him more than anyone else in that damn village." Then he grinned at her. "Besides, if he could see you now he would be yelling his head off."

Despite her tears, Tsunade smiled. He was right and she knew it. However, the stress and guilt she had kept from that day had built up over time and caused this break down. What made it worse was that she had no one she could confide in. Sure there was Shizune, but she would just fuss or worry about her. The only people who could help her were her former teammates and sadly two of them were dead.

For about an hour the two sennins talked. Tsunade was finally able to get everything off of her rather large chest. She told Jiraiya about the council trying to get rid of her and how some of them had suggested an alliance with Sasuke. She then told him that she had the Hyuga clan demanding that she bring Hinata back from the Sand village so that they could place the bird cage seal on her. She even told him about the deaths of Tsume and Shibi. When she was done, she felt much better.

"I didn't know you had it so bad," said Jiraiya. "Sensei always made the job look so easy. Makes me glad I didn't take the job myself."

"Me too," said Tsunade with a smile. "If you had, all of the kunoichi in the village would be half naked." Jiraiya chuckled at that knowing it was the truth as he got up to leave.

"It's getting late," said the old Toad-Sennin. "You should get back to your village before your work pile gets too high." Tsunade sighed as she herself got up. He was right. Shizune would crack under the pressure sooner or later and the paperwork would start to pile up. Perhaps this was why the strongest shinobi became Hokage. "If you are serous about learning that jutsu, the man who helped Orochimaru create it is heading to the village. Ask him when he gets there."

"Who is it?" asked Tsunade.

"You'll know him when you see him," was his reply as he walked away from his former teammate. "And don't worry about Naruto. I'm sure he's having a blast in the after life."

---

"Achoo," sneezed Naruto, blowing his cover.

"Baka," hissed Mai.

"There he is," shouted one of the enemy.

"Get him," shouted another as they raced towards him.

"Run!" shouted Naruto. He and Mai both got ready but Zanku stayed his ground.

"Like hell I'm running," he said with a gleam in his eyes. "I'm staying here like a fuckin man!" He would have stayed if Mai and Naruto hadn't grabbed the back of his shirt and towed him with them. "No! I want to stay!" His friends just rolled their eyes as they turned the corner.

"He just turned the corner," shouted one of them. "Let's get him girls!"

"He's mine!" shouted another.

"I'll save you from that Uchiha witch," said another.

Yes, the enemy was the dreaded fangirl, about thirty of them this time. In a way, Naruto had new respect for Sasuke. He had always assumed that he was gay for having some many women chasing him and never picking one or enjoying it. But, after seeing what it was like, Naruto found them to be very vicious.

"That's it," hissed Naruto. Before the fangirl army could turn the corner, Naruto called out, "**Bikoutia: Yami!**" His tail, which was hidden from view by his white trench coat, turned black and Naruto activated its power. Soon he, Mai, and Zanku vanished from sight. When the girls did turn the corner, they found nothing. For a while, they used all of their skills and abilities to try to find him. Finding nothing they decided to head back to their own homes and wait for the next time he was spotted. Once the last one had left a voice said, "**Bikoutia: Kai!**" With that Naruto, Mai, and a sobbing Zanku reappeared.

"Ya know, if Kyuubi was still around I'd kiss him for giving me this sweet power," said a grinning Naruto.

"I could think of better ways to use it," sulked Zanku as he stood up. _Imagine all the bathhouses._ With that thought, his attitude shifted from sad to perverted as he began to giggle.

The next day, Naruto and company continued their journey to the Pass of Beginnings. The Milky Way Dynasty is a land with natural borders that have severed well in the past. On two sides of its borders there is ocean and on the other sides there is a mountain range. About 500 years ago, the Emperor of the Milky Way Dynasty ordered a pass to be cut through the mountains and connect them to their neighbors. Now, this wasn't a tunnel, oh no. It was more like cutting a slice of bread from the middle, except the bread was one of the mountains and took a very long time. 150 years later, the cut was made and the sides were made smooth and flat like a piece of glass. This was how the Pass of Beginnings was created.

The group had been traveling to get to the Pass before the festival began. The festival was started by the people who had bloodline limits and clan related jutsu to celebrate their exodus from the Elemental Countries and their own clans. It seemed to them that a pass call the Pass of Beginnings made the most logical choice. And, it wasn't just the people from Milky Way that went there. People from all over the Celestial Dynasties came to celebrate. This made it the perfect time for the Panda-sennin to enter the country without raising too many eyebrows. To Naruto, it was the chunnin exam all over again.

"Naruto-niisan," said Asahi suddenly as she tugged on her adoptive brothers' coat. Naruto looked down at the four year old Hyuga who was rubbing her eyes. "I'm tired. Can we please stop now?" Naruto looked out in the direction of the now setting sun. As much as he wanted to get to their destination in time, he still had to think of what was best for her. So, after a moments worth of thought, her turned to face her once again and nodded.

It took a few minutes to take their scrolls out, unseal their tents, and then set them up. Héng Wǔ, who had decided to join them since her last join was literally in ruins, spent most of her time arguing with Zanku about who was better at the blade. Zanku, who used his large zanbato wildly with no real style, insisted that he was better. Héng, who used twin Chinese style swords and thought out her moves before attacking, disagreed with that. Meanwhile, the four Hyuga sisters were making dinner and making their own plans to get closer to their foxy love. Ranshin and Yoen where hugging, again, and scaring the crap out of everyone. Naruto had just finished pitching up Asahi's tent when Mai came up to him with an embarrassed look on her face.

"Ah, Naruto-kun, there is a slight problem with my tent," she told her boyfriend. "I, well, kinda forgot it back in the last village." Now a blush appeared on her face and moved closer to him. "So I was wondering if I could share yours for the night." Now Naruto's face was a deep tomato red.

"Well, well. Looks like I'm interrupting something special," said a woman's voice. The woman looked to be about 20 years old and had a long green braided hair and gold colored eyes. She wore a Chinese style dress with a black and white tiger strip pattern with arm bracers. On her eyes were earrings that had the same rare stone that Naruto wore around his neck. However, the only thing that Zanku noticed was her large breasts. "It's been a while, hasn't it Mai-chan."

"It's Yuri-san," exclaimed Mai as she thought of the time back at the hot spring three years ago. Yuri smirked and looked at Naruto.

"So you must be the Kitsune-sennin," she said as she stared at the 16 year old boy. "Hard to believe that three years ago I thought you were no threat." Naruto's eyes narrowed in realization at who this woman really was.

"Guys, get out of the way," he said in a stern tone. "This is the Tora-sennin." And cue the looks of utter shock on their faces. They quickly recovered and began to move away from the area with Asahi in tow. They knew that if they stayed they would only be in the way.

"Oh no you don't," said Yuri as roots and vines seemed to shot out from her arm towards Naruto's friends. Naruto, without any hesitation, yelled, "**Bikoutia: Hyouzan!**" and created an ice blade. He then cut down the attack before it could reach his friends and then released his ice form.

"Sorry," said Naruto as he stared at Yuri with a grin. "But you have to go threw me first."

"Fine," said Yuri. Then, from out of nowhere, two hands shot out of the ground and pulled Naruto down into the ground until it reached his head. Then Yuri popped out of the ground next to him while the Yuri he had been talking to turned into wood. "Looks like you fell into my trap. This will be easier than I thought." Yuri then gave Naruto's head a powerful kick upwards only to have it go poof.

"Nice try," said Naruto behind her. Yuri quickly turned around to see him with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. "That would have worked on me if I was still a rookie genin." Yuri gave him an odd look.

"Genin?" she asked. Naruto just gave a nervous laugh as he remembered that there were no shinobi in the Celestial Dynasties. He then got into his fighting stance and Yuri followed suit. A moment later they charged at each other and began to exchange punches and kicks. It seemed that Yuri had superior speed, but lacked Naruto's power. Naruto was on the defense as Yuri began a barrage of punches that came at lightning speed. While this was going on, he spotted an opening. Deciding to go for it, he landed a powerful punch to her gut that sent her rolling back several yards. She managed to land on her feet while holding her chest.

"I'd rather not be fighting you," said Naruto as he kept his eyes on her. "In a couple of days the Panda-sennin will attack. It's stupid for us to be fighting each other."

"You think that you can defeat Junpuu-teme?" asked Yuri with a laugh. "Please, a soft hearted baka like you has no chance in hell of defeating him. Besides, I have to make you pay for sending my bandits to jail for the past three years. **Takemori no Shinsei!**" She slammed her palms onto the ground and bamboo stocks (or are they tree?) began to spring out of the ground.

"Damn she's…" began Naruto but was cut short when he realized that a stock had shot up right where he was standing. To be more precise, between his legs. Naruto jumped forward and then quickly checked his vitals and then breathed a sigh of relief once he realized that everything was there. However, it soon became a groan once he realized that he was now standing in a dense bamboo forest.

While Naruto began to look around, Yuri was watching him. In this jutsu her stealth was at its highest making it impossible for the enemy to find her. She then spoke, her voice coming in all directions.

"You really believe that you can defeat Junpuu, the Panda-sennin? You don't have what it takes! Besides, he's mine!" She then bit her thumb and whispered, "**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**"

Meanwhile, Naruto hadn't moved a muscle. He took a deep breath to calm himself and then began to consider his options. The first was to use the Kage Bunshin to locate her. He dismissed that idea because after she destroyed one of his clones she would most likely move to a different location. There was also the fact that he was in her jutsu and that it might have a few secrets to it that he didn't know about. He could destroy the forest, but that would take a large amount of chakra to do and she could always make another one. His last option was to wait for the enemy to come to him.

The snap of a branch or twig behind him caused Naruto to turn around quickly. Seeing nothing, he then heard a growl to his right. _This can't be good_. Then, without any warning, a medium sized white tiger jumped out towards Naruto's back. "**Koutsume!**" it growled as it clawed Naruto's back in one swift motion. Naruto fell to one knee as the tiger went back into the bamboo forest and disappeared into the background. Slowly, Naruto got back up and took off his ripped trench coat and his ruined weight vest. _Thank Kami this was on or that attack would have destroyed my spinal cord._ Hey, when your girlfriend is a medic, you pick up a few things.

"Why do you want the Panda-sennin so much?" asked Naruto, hoping this time he might be able to pinpoint her position. Then, Naruto sensed something coming from behind him and turned around in time as the same tiger tried to replay its attack. Naruto was able to catch it by its front legs and fell backwards by the weight and force of the attack. He was now keeping the tiger at arm's length and it tried to bite him.

"Interested?" asked Yuri, her voice still coming from all directions. "Since you are _dying_ to know I'll tell you.

"Back when I was a little girl, I lived with my parents in Pegasus. One day, back when he was an apprentice, Junpuu came to our village and demanded that we pay him protection money. My father was the village leader at the time and tried to explain to him that there was no more money. So Junpuu decided to make the village pay in a different way. He hung my parents, stabbed them over and over again, and then left them out in the open for everyone to see. One of his clones forced me to watch.

"He then took me out of the village saying that I would pay well in the slave markets. He knew a dealer in Andromeda that specialized in selling children. If I was lucky, I would have been bought by a family who wanted to use me to do house labor for the rest of my life. Before we could meet his contact in his village, the previous Tora-sennin saved me."

**Flashback:**

Junpuu and a five year old Yuri were staring at an old and withered man about a mile from the village they were headed to. He was bald and had many liver spots on his body. His eyes had a pure white color to them and he was dress in simple brown robes.

"You will put down that girl," said the Tora-sennin in an old, but in no means weak voice.

"And if I say no old man?" asked Junpuu with gritted teeth. The old man's eyes began to glow white and then died down a moment later.

"As I have seen, I will lose my right arm and die shortly after I kill you," said the Tora-sennin. Junpuu glared at him with hate as he continued. "It is true I am not as young and strong as I once was. But, I have more experience than you do boy. Now, no matter what you choose, that girl will never enter the slave market."

"Fine," said Junpuu. "But I still want something. Your eyes see the future right?"

"Yes," said the old man. "I am able to see thing that will and might happen. The farther down the road I see, the greater the odds that it will not happen as I see it. Such is the way of free will."

"Tell me then," said Junpuu. "Tell me, will my dreams come true? Will I have the victory I seek?" The old man's eyes began to glow again and when they stopped he spoke again.

"I see you at the height of your power. Your forces will have all they need to break down the doors of kingdoms and burn their flags. You, Junpuu the Panda-sennin, will rule all of the Celestial Dynasties. However, I foresee one who can defeat you. He will be of your clan, but will not hold the same hate in his heart as you do. His spirit will be free like the wind. He will be as stubborn as the earth. His rage will be like lightning, powerful but short lived. His heart shall be as large as an ocean. And he will burn with a will of fire."

"From my own clan you say," said Junpuu. "I doubt that. There is only me and my father left and he would never think of attacking me." He then let go of the girl and began to walk away. "And I doubt anyone like that exists in this world."

**End Flashback**

While Yuri was lost in the memories of her past, Naruto was getting tired of hold the summoned tiger away from him. Naruto moved his tail so that it pointed at the tiger and yelled, "**Otekidan!**" The fur on Naruto's tail hardened into thousands of tiny needles and then shot at the tiger until it vanished. As Naruto got up, his hat fell off.

Yuri blinked when she saw those two fox ears on his spiky blond head. _Kawaii! No, I mustn't give in to temptation. But, they look so adorable on him. You're strong Yuri. Just count backwards from ten. Ten…nine…oh FUCK IT!_ The next thing she knew she was behind Naruto rubbing his ears between her fingers.

"What do you think you are doing," asked Naruto as his eye twitched. "We are in the middle of a fight."

"It's so kawaii," she said as she continued to rub his ears. Naruto managed to pull away from her, grab his hat, and put it back on very, very quickly.

"You're very…weird," said Naruto with a deadpanned expression.

"Shut it," she yelled back with dish plate eyes. "That's cheating, using those cute ears like that!"

"I can't help it!" shouted Naruto back. "They came with the powers!" They both glared at each other and then bit they thumbs. Soon, two people yelled "**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**" The forest was soon replaced with a large red fox and a similarly large white tiger.

"**Here's Loki! Now where are the girls?**"

"Must you say that every time I summon you?" asked Naruto. Loki just grinned.

"**Yep!**"

"Attack Oodora," yelled Yuri!

"**Yes Yuri-sama**," said Oodora in a feminine voice. It lunged at Loki yelling, "**Kousoshaku!**" as it tried to take a bite out of Loki who dodged the attack in time by jumping backwards. Loki hissed when he landed and held up his front right paw.

"**Ouch, I think I hurt my paw**," exclaimed Loki. He then preformed a puppy eye jutsu and flattened his ears to the back of his head.

"So…so…" stammered Yuri.

"**Yuri-sama, don't fall for it. Loki is the greatest trickster of all time. He once got the snake Manda to sing Spice Girls songs. He's evil!**"

"…Kawaii!" yelled Yuri as she jumped from her summon and landed on Loki's nose and began to hug him. Loki's eyes changed quickly from puppy dog pout to perverted upside down U's.

"**At last, happiness is mine."**

"How the hell did she become a sennin," asked Naruto to no one in particular. He then raced down to where Yuri was and grabbed her as they jumped of Loki. "Take care of that tiger, will you?"

"**Spoil sport**," whined the fox boss. He then looked at Oodora. "**Might as well let lose some frustration on your hide then. Here kitty, kitty.**"

"**Arrogant ass! Koutsume!**"

Meanwhile, Yuri broke free of Naruto and they both landed on the ground. Soon, there images became blurs as they continued their fight in pure taijutsu. Yuri now noticed the necklace as they exchanged blows. _That necklace belongs to my family. It was left in Elemental. How did he get it?_ However, her thoughts were interrupted as she was punched in the face. She growled as she delivered a powerful kick to Naruto's right arm and was delighted to hear a loud crack. Naruto jumped back and grabbed his wounded arm.

Yuri looked over at the summons battle. Loki had gone for Oodora's neck and clapped onto it. Oodora was thrashing Loki around like crazy trying to get him off. Deciding to finish this now, she made several signs, slammed her palms onto the ground and yelled, "**Hiru Banshou!**" Roots sprung up out of the ground and then dug themselves into Naruto's feet and legs. He howled in pain as he felt them invade his body.

"This is the end for you," said Yuri as she kept her palms on the ground. "This jutsu will slowly drain your body of all its water and leave you a withered husk. It's a shame, but that's life."

Naruto could feel what was happening even before Yuri told him. He tried to move his legs, but there were too many roots for that. He thought about using a long range jutsu, but his better ones needed hand seals. Well, all but one. He then let go of his wounded arm and began to make a Rasengan. However, it soon took an odd twist. A ring of wind, much like the rings of Saturn, began to form around the sphere.

"**Fūton: ****Rasenkazaana!**" yelled Naruto as he thrusted his only long range version of the Rasengan foreword. The ring shot out and became a mini twister that raced toward Yuri at blinding speeds. Soon, she was pulled in and spiraling backwards. She tried to move but couldn't, the high winds made that impossible. She couldn't use a substation jutsu or anything else to save herself. She was trapped. Then, the blue sphere, which had stayed intact, was propelled by the wind going directly down the tunnel. There was then an explosion when the jutsu connected with her and she lost conciseness.

Mai and the others raced towards Naruto once they saw the summons go poof. The found Naruto on the ground with dozens of holes in his legs, a broken arm, and suffering from chakra depletion and dehydration. Mai quickly went to work on Naruto until she mended the arm and patched up the holes in his legs. She also forced some water down his throat thanks to a jutsu she knew. He would be fine.

---

Yuri opened her eyes and noticed she was staring at a white ceiling. At first, she thought she was dead. That was until she noticed that she was in a hospital bed. She turned head and groaned.

"Oh my Kami! You're awake!" screamed a nurse.

"What happened?" asked Yuri.

"A group brought you here dear," said the nurse in a calmer tone. "You were half dead and very luckily they brought you here when they did. Also, this guy with a green tail touched a nearby plant and it grew some fruit. He then squeezed it and let the drops fall on you and said that you should be better in two days. I thought he was nuts, but now…"

"How long was that?"

"About three hours ago," was the answer. Yuri just lay back in her bed. She knew who did it and why. Naruto wanted her to help when Junpuu attacked.

Next time, the final battle (but not the last one if you know what I mean) and probably the longest chapter yet!

Thank you Dirty Reid for the translations.

Fūton: Rasenkazaana- Spiraling Wind Tunnel

Takemori no Shinsei- Rebirth of the Bamboo Forest

Hiru Banshou- Leech all Creation

Kousoshaku- Tiger Bite

Bikoutia: Yami: Tail Shift: Darkness

Koutsume: Tiger Claw


	13. Chapter 13

The end is here at last. The battle between Junpuu and Naruto. Kitsune vs. Panda, who will win? The truth behind the kage bunshin will be revealed!

I thank you all for your patience on this. Believe me; I have wanted to get to this point for so long. But, you know how it goes. This just adds to the originality of my story and makes it more special. The hardest part was coming up with the different personalities of my OC's. That and the jutsu names. I really suck at that. But, I have found people who have helped me out and for that I am grateful.

Well, I hope this chapter is moving for you all.

---

Naruto and his friends were finally there, The Pass of Beginnings. That was the good news. The bad news was that today was the day that the Panda-sennin would attack.

It was early morning and the group was standing near the entrance to the Pass. Tents and booths were set up and some were getting ready to open. Some of them were serving squid on the stick or noodles. Others had games like darts or that goldfish game that is always rigged. Inside some of the tents were shows and other such things for the people to enjoy. The rest of the tents belonged to the people who had traveled a great distance.

There were a few things that were missing though.

"I don't see any fuckin army," growled Zanku as he looked around. "That ass sniffing Emperor isn't going to do a goddamn thing! And the other two sennins must have put their armies on diets because I don't see them!"

"Well getting angry about it won't change a thing," said Héng. "We need to calmly think of a plan."

Naruto let out a sigh as Zanku began to make suggestions that were not very appropriate. He had figured that this might be the case. So, in preparation, he had been thinking of all the things he could do. Sadly, they all seemed to lead to a single end. So, with a sigh, he chose the one that he felt he could live with.

"Alright," said Naruto as he turned to the rest of them. "This is what we will do. Our first priority will be to get these people out of here. Once the Panda-sennin and his men come this way they will most likely loot them and worse. So, you all will be helping to get them out of here. I'll wait on the other side of the Pass for the Panda's to arrive." Their reaction was what he had expected.

"WHAT?!" they all yelled in unison.

"What the fuck are you thinking?" asked/yelled Zanku as he waved his arms around like a madman. "You know you can't take down the fuckin Panda-sennin and his entire shit head army. Maybe if it was only one of the two ya, but no way in hell both!"

"I fail to see the logic in this," said Héng. "Junpuu's army is larger than both of the other sennins combined and he will be with his second. They will not be like the ones you have faced in the past because they will be outfitted for war. The odds of you coming out of this alive are .000000000001 percent."

Asahi looked at all the adults as they yelled at her brother. There was an uneasiness in her stomach that she got when something bad was about to happen. She stood there, trying to figure out what they were talking about. After all, what four year old girl knows about the odds? But, what made her feel worse was the fact that her brother was just standing there, saying nothing.

"I appreciate the concern," said Naruto after a while. "I know what the odds are of me going in, fighting all of them, and coming back alive. But, I'm not doing that. I'm simply aiming for the head."

"I see," said Héng as she brought her hand up to her chin. "You're hoping that if you can take out Junpuu the others will retreat. If you can do this, the odds that they can be defeated will be improved for a short time. However, there are complications, like, for example, he already let Shinja, his number two and his apprentice, sign his summoning contract. This is a very dangerous plan."

"You got to be kidding me you dip shit!" yelled Zanku as he grabbed Naruto by his trench coat. "That asshole is the worst of the worst. He'll use his own men as a shield if he has to."

"Then I'll just have to go around it," said Naruto with a small grin.

"Naruto-kun," said Mai weakly. Naruto turned to face her and saw that she was on the verge of crying. Naruto pushed Zanku off of him and walked over to her. When he got close enough, he held onto her tightly. "Please don't," she whispered. "I-I don't want to lose you."

"Sometimes," said Naruto in a quiet voice, "we have to give up everything to do what is right. An old man I knew once showed me that when he had to fight someone who wanted to destroy my village. I didn't understand why, but I do now." Naruto then wrapped his tail around her legs. "I want to stay with you, like this, forever. Being with you, here, has been the greatest time of my life. I love this place. What I want right now is to go far away and just be with all of you. But I know that I can't. There are other people here who are also important. Like your parents. I have the power to help them and I will use it, even at the cost of my life." He then gave her a passionate kiss that seemed to be from the movies. You know the ones I'm talking about. The wind blows, the light is just right, and you know that if there were other people there they would do…something that should not be done in front of children (Or other people, but some people do that anyways.). He soon pulled away, with some difficulty, and walked over to Zanku and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Make sure Asahi stays safe."

"I'm not making any promises dickhead," replied the chronic swearer as he rudely removed Naruto's hand from his shoulder. "If you are so concerned for her, make sure that you get your stupid ass out of there as soon as you can." Naruto just grinned. They both knew he wasn't coming back. Naruto then walked over to Asahi and picked her up.

"Now I want you to listen to Zanku and Mai-chan while I'm gone," he said.

"Naruto-niisan, what's going on," asked the little girl. Tears began to form in her eyes for reasons she didn't know and didn't want to know.

"I have to fight again," said Naruto. "And it looks like this one might be my last."

"But you'll be alright," said Asahi as she grabbed his coat. She then looked him square in the eyes and the feeling in her stomach got much worse. "Promise me you'll be alright."

Naruto said nothing, but slowly put her down. He then walked right past her and headed into the Pass with his hands in his pockets. He could hear Ranshin and Yoen yelling about his youth or something like that and ruining the moment. The wind then began to pick up and dark clouds began to roll in. the sun was soon blocked and a cold chill filled everyone. But for some, it was colder. Arctic like, if you will.

---

In the Leaf village, Tsunade was in heaven. Why you ask? It was a little past noon and she was almost done with her paper work. She finally had proof that Kami was kind. She looked at the last piece of paper. It was a petition to bring back Casual Friday's. With a tear in her eye, she brought down the pen to the paper and then…

"Tsunade-sama!" yelled a nameless chunin as he entered the room. Tsunade looked up for a second and then looked back down to find that her paperwork had grown again.

"What is it," growled Tsunade. "This better be important!" _If it's not, I will have you do D class missions for the rest of your life and then I'll make you do things that not even I can think about!_

"It's Itachi ma'am," he said as he pointed out the down. "He's been seen in the village with three other people." He was lucky that Itachi being in the village was very important. Tsunade put down her pen and looked at the chunin.

"So, do you know where they are?" she asked him. The chunin nodded, walked over to her, and whispered it in her ear. Tsunade groaned. Now she knew one of the other people Itachi was with. She got out of her seat, turned to the window, and then dashed out.

Ayame was worried about the four people who had just sat down at her families ramen stand. At first, she thought that they were in a band or something based on their odd clothing. Well, that or a gang. But when she saw the face of Itachi Uchiha, it took all of her strength not to fall to her knees. The man who had killed his entire clan (minus one) just walked up to her and ordered ramen like he wasn't some mass murder. To make matters worse, her father was out of town trying to get a deal on some new noodles.

Slowly, Ayame got the group their orders while she waited for ANBU to get off their asses for a change and do something. She placed a single bowl of miso ramen in front of Itachi. She then got the shark man his shrimp ramen and the blond a BBQ. The auburn haired man, on the other hand, had ordered three of everything. The way he ate it reminded her of Naruto.

"So, how long do we have to wait?" asked Kisame as he took a bite out of his meal.

"Not long," said Haran as he finished his fourth bowl. "I'm sure by now some idiot has informed Tsunade-san about our arrival in the village." He then turned his attention on Ayame. "Can I get some more tea miss?" Ayame nodded and quickly poured the man his tea.

"She better hurry, yeah," said Diedara. He would have said more, but was stopped when the group felt a powerful killer intent focus in their direction. Kisame and Diedara turned around to see a pink haired chunin glaring at Itachi's back. Said Uchiha had his eyes closed as he continued to eat his meal. His refusal to turn around caused the killer intent to grow to a level that caused Diedara to gulp and Kisame to sweat a little.

_There he is_ thought Sakura with a hate filled glare burning holes in the back of the Uchiha. _He killed his whole family and drove Sasuke-kun insane. It's because of him that Sasuke-kun left this village for more power and ended up with Orochimaru. If it weren't for him then Sasuke-kun would still be here and Naruto would still…_ Now tears were coming from her eyes.

"It's your entire fault!" screamed Sakura as she gathered chakra into her fist. She then charged at him, ready to send her fist into his back and destroy everything. She was about an inch away when a hand grabbed her arm and stopped her. She turned to face this person and saw the auburn haired man. She turned back in the direction of the Uchiha and saw that the same man was sitting there and still eating his ramen.

"Haruno-san," said Haran (the original) in a low voice. "I am trying to eat. It would upset my appetite terribly if you killed Itachi-san." He then raised his chopsticks to his cheek and looked thoughtful. "Well, tried to kill him anyways."

"You haven't changed one bit Haran," said the voice of Tsunade moments before the clone went puff. When the smoke cleared, there stood Tsunade with her finger still extended after flicking that clone out of existence. She then slowly lowered her hand. "Judging by your attire you are a member of Akatsuki. Why have you returned to this village?"

The man named Haran turned around and Sakura got a good look at his face. He had at least a dozen piercings all over his face. His hair was spiky and his face was lean. What struck her hard were his eyes. They were grey, but had a crystal like quality to them that was hard to explain. It was like when she overheard Hinata try to explain to Ino that Naruto's eyes were sapphire blue, not ocean blue.

"I am here because we have a common enemy," said Haran as his voice snapped Sakura out of her thoughts. "You are correct that I am a member of Akatsuki. In fact, I was the former leader. However, since the betrayal of most of my followers, we are all that is left. We have come here to help in the fight against the Sound by serving under this village so that we may both better our odds."

"Tsunade-sama, who is this?" asked Sakura. Her master kept her eyes on Haran as she answered.

"During the last great ninja war, legends were created on both sides. A ranking system was created based on abilities, strategy, and the amount of fear in our enemies when they heard the sound of our names. At the top of this list was the Yodaime. Following him, in this order, was Jaraiya, Orochimaru, and I. The man who stands before you was ranked fifth at the time, but I'm sure that's no longer the case. He got that rank by going on a solo mission and killed 500 enemy shinobi to complete. He is the former leader of the Uzumaki clan and father to the later Naruto Uzumaki, Haran Uzumaki."

To say that Sakura was shocked was an understatement. She had always assumed that the blond's parents were dead. Thinking back, she realized that he never said if they were or weren't dead. The only thing that he had ever said was that he didn't have any. Now, the father of her former teammate was standing right in front of her.

Her surprise was quickly replaced with anger. After Naruto's death and her becoming Tsunade's apprentice, she and Shikamaru did some digging as to why everyone hated Naruto. At first, they thought it was because he was born on the day of the Kyuubi attack. After dismissing that thought, they decided to look at what they knew about him and what was unusual. The rapid healing, the endless stamina, jonin level chakra. Let's not forget that villagers calling him 'Demon child'. For a short time after that, they believed that Naruto was the Kyuubi. But Shikamaru asked the question why. If he was as powerful as people said he was, why didn't he defend himself during the attempts at his life? Why didn't he simply leave the village? How could a 10 thousand year old demon be so dense? Then, he remembered the conversation with Gaara in Lee's hospital room and it all made sense. Both he and Sakura knew that the Kyuubi had been sealed inside their friend at birth.

How does someone deal with this situation? There, in front of her was the father of her former teammate. A teammate who had no one and nothing except a terrible burden. And he was the leader for the group that was hunting down people like Naruto as if they were animals. Oh, Sakura knew just how to handle this situation.

She moved to charge at Haran again, but Tsunade got behind her and warped her arms around the pink haired girl.

"Let me go!" screamed Sakura as she struggled to be free.

"Stop this," commanded Tsunade. But Sakura didn't stop.

"No!" she yelled. She then glared at Haran with the upmost hate. "Where the hell were you? He needed you and you didn't do a goddamn thing for him!" Haran just stared at her, hiding all emotion.

"Like you did any better," he said slowly. "I know all about since you were Naruto's teammate. It took his _death_ for you to figure out how much he really cared about you. And where were you when he needed help. Off chasing Sasuke-teme with the others I bet." His eyes then slowly narrowed. "Don't you, for one second, believe that I don't regret what I did. Before and after his death." Sakura then, somehow, slipped under Tsunade's grip. Or perhaps she was let go. But, that's not important. She raced over to Haran, grabbed his cloak, and readied her fist.

"Then why didn't you come back?" she asked with tears in her eyes.

"By the time I had come to my senses six years had passed," said Haran calmly, not at all afraid of her. "What was I supposed to do? Just walk up to him and say 'Hey there kiddo, it's me your father'? It was too late for any reconciliation between us. So I planned something else. That is all you need to know." Sakura looked enraged and looked ready to hit him.

"Sakura," said Tsunade quietly causing the pink haired girl to stop in her tracks. "Please stop this. Even if you killed him, it wouldn't change the fact that Naruto is dead." While she said this, she slowly walked over to Sakura and placed a hand on her shoulder. Sakura, with great hesitation, then let go of Haran. Tsunade then looked at Haran. "And you underestimated your son. I'm sure, in time that the two of you would have patched things up."

"Son," said Haran as he turned to sit back down. "I have no right to call him that." Tsunade sighed and then sat down next to the last Uzumaki.

"I'm guessing you are the one who helped Orochimaru create his Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei," she said. Haran simple nodded as he went back to his noodles. "Can you teach me that jutsu?" Haran stopped eating.

"If I knew it," he said, "I would have used it. All I did was giving him information on my family's Kinjutsu Ogi: Kage tame Jinniku no jutsu and he altered it."

"Then tell me what you told him," pleaded Tsunade. "I might be able to figure it out."

"I doubt it," said Haran. "But I guess it can't hurt. I'll start from the beginning." He then cleared his throat and Sakura leaned in closer. "To fully understand why the Kinjutsu Ogi: Kage tame Jinniku no jutsu was created we need to go back to the beginning of the Uzumaki clan. As you know, there are clans with unique traits like the Sharingan. However, the more they breed with people outside of the clan the weaker the trait or, in some cases, skipped a generation or two. And breeding within the clan caused problems as well as the blood became too thick. Later, it was discovered that my clan had a unique blood trait that wasn't a bloodline limit. When we produced a child with someone who had something like the Sharingan or anything like that, the genes that would have been received from the Uzumaki parent would have been suppressed and would not show up in future generations. The best way to put it is that we have total recessive traits. Because of this, we were seen as nothing more than breeding material.

"To fix this, we decided to enter the world of the shinobi and created our own style. Our aim was to make bunshin jutsus that could fight and use jutsus as well. It took years of research and we eventually created several types. For a while, it worked. We were respected, even envied. When one hired an Uzumaki, they got a one man army. However, in time, that was taken away from us as well.

"Then, one day, an Uzumaki came along who had multiple personalities. His dream was to find a way of separating a piece of his mind and give it form. It took him a total of three years and in the end he created the kage bunshin."

---

Naruto walked calmly out of the Pass. Well, he appeared to be calm. On the inside he was a hurricane of emotions. He knew he was doing the right thing to keep those close to him safe. If they came with him he couldn't protect them or help them when they needed it. On the other hand, he didn't like the fact that he would most likely never see them again. He wanted to be there when Asahi lost her first tooth. To see the day when Zanku found the right girl. To see Mai in a wedding dress…

"It was nice while it lasted," he said as he stopped and stared in to the distance.

---

Back on the other side of the Pass, Zanku, Mai, and the others were directing the people away from the Pass. It didn't take much to get them going. Just saying that the Panda-sennin was enough to get everyone, all 3 thousand of them, to haul ass. The only person who wasn't doing anything was Asahi. She just stood there, staring at the entrance to the Pass, and thinking. She had been like that since Mai had told her everything.

"Asahi-chan," called Mai. "We have to get going." At first, Asahi didn't move a muscle. Then, she quickly spun around at looked at Mai who was several yards away from here.

"No," she said in a voice loud enough for many of the people to hear. Those that heard it stopped what they were doing and others soon followed their led to find out what was going on.

"What the hell do you mean 'no'," asked Zanku as he moved into the scene. "In case you forgot, we have to get out of here before that asshole comes."

"I'm going to go to Naruto-niisan," said Asahi bolding. This caused several people to blink and soon everyone was whispering. Mai was about to walk up to her and pick her up when Ranshin stopped her by grabbing her shoulder.

"Asahi-chan, we know how you feel," said Ranshin in a calm and low voice. Even he knew when to tone it down. "But there is nothing that you can do. If you did go you would only be in the way and cause your niisan to worry about you. You are just one person and cannot expect to change much." He believed that she would now understand. He believed that she would relieve how hopeless the situation was and go with them more willingly. But he forgot one little thing: she was the little sister of Naruto Uzumaki.

"I don't care!" she cried, shocking everyone. "Naruto-niisan has always helped others when they needed him. Now niisan needs help and everyone is just walking away." With that said she turned around and began to run into the Pass.

"Asahi-chan," called Mai as she started to run after her, "don't…"

"Don't stop her!" yelled Ranshin. There was something in his voice that caused Mai's body to obey. She turned around and glared at him.

"Do you want her to die to?" she demanded. Ranshin just sighed and looked down at the ground.

"It seems the flames of youth have grown dim inside me," he said. He then raised his head slowly and on his face was a look of clarity. He then began to speak to the crowd. "That child is right. I haven't known Naruto as long as some of his friends, but I do know that he is not native to this land. He was not raised in the same fear in the same fear that many of us have been. Perhaps that is why he is able to look at the forces of the sennin's and challenge them. A mere boy has been doing what we should have been doing for three years. And now, a mere baby is showing more courage than all of us." He stopped and began to cough. "I know I am old. I doubt I have more than ten years left. But, I'd rather die in a youthful battle than to die unyouthfully hiding while children fight!"

"The old fucker is right," said Zanku as he gripped the handle of his Kirigakuon. "With the exception of all that youth crap, I agree. If I'm going down, I'll do it fighting and taking as many of them with me!"

---

A good distance for the entrance of the Pass along the mountain side was Hanabunta and at least 700 men. The general stood at the edge of camp with a scope pressed against his eye as he viewed Naruto who was standing alone. _This isn't right_, he thought. _Our orders are to let the sennins fight amongst themselves and then bring back any survivors. But the blond will…_

Hanabunta was then taken out of his thoughts when he heard a sound like thunder. He turned in the direction of the sound and gasped in horror.

There were about one million people in the uniform of the Panda-sennin marching towards the Pass. They each held a weapon that looked either Japanese or Chinese in origin and on their backs held one spear. They walked in a formation that seemed to leave a large hole in the middle. Except, it wasn't empty. In the middle was a large panda. On its head stood Junpuu and Shinja in green traditional shinobi attire. On the back of the beast sat a blond. The army, under a silent command, stopped several hundred yards away from the Pass. Then, by means of an unknown jutsu, the voice of the Panda-sennin could be heard by all.

"Greetings Kitsune-sennin," he said in an arrogant voice. "It seems you have saved me the trouble of hunting you down. As you can see, I hold all the cards and you are down to your last chip. However, since my father, Yokan Uzumaki, spoke so highly of you before I killed him, I think of sparing your life." Naruto's eyes widened when he heard that. "All you have to do is step aside and allow me and my men to go through with no resistance. That's all you have to do and you will be spared."

Hanabunta watched as Naruto lowered his head. Shinja took out her own scope so she could read his lips. Then, Naruto raised his head. _I kicking his ass out of principle_, he thought. He then gave Junpuu a very feral smile and then gave him the one fingered salute.

---

"I don't believe it," said Hanabunta aloud. "He just flicked him off."

---

"How dare he!" screamed Junpuu as he turned off his jutsu. "That hard headed fool!"

"I told you it would work," said Ukyo. "All you did was get him all worked up."

"It doesn't matter," said Junpuu, not even turning around to look at Ukyo. "I can crush him regardless."

"Junpuu-sama," said Shinja, "someone is coming out of the Pass."

Indeed, someone did come out of the Pass.

"Aniki," cried Asahi as she ran towards Naruto. Naruto was shocked and turned around to make sure he wasn't hearing things. When he felt Asahi hug his leg, he was sure that this wasn't a delusion.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Naruto as he bent down after freeing his leg.

"Well that's obvious shithead," said Zanku as he now exited the Pass. Naruto, who had been concentrating on Asahi up to this point, looked up and noticed that everyone was making their way out of the Pass. Not just the people he knew, but the people who had arrived for the festival. "We're here to fuck up these asshole, kick there sorry asses, and make them our bitches!"

"Don't swear in front of Asahi!" yelled Naruto. "And I can't fight these guys and worry about you all."

"Then don't," said Mai. "We want to fight to. This is our home after all." Naruto was about to say something when a memory flashed in his head.

**Flashback:**

"Be happy. You can't continue to hold the weight of the world on your shoulders and deprive yourself of almost everything that you truly want. When this is over, don't wait any longer than you already have." With that, Yokan walked into the forest.

**End Flashback**

"I guess there's no helping it," said Naruto as he turned around. "Alright, we'll do this together. But when it's over, I have something I need to ask you Mai-chan." Mai blinked when she heard this and wondered what he wanted to ask her. However, she noticed that the Panda's looked like they were about to throw something.

"That is so fuckin copyrighted," said Zanku as he saw the spears sail into the air. Naruto saw this and gave a low growl. Acting quickly, he made the hand sign and called out "**Bikoutai: Raimei!**" and disappeared in a bolt of lightning. He reappeared, less than a tenth of a second later, in the air and did a round house kick that deflected or destroyed several spears. He then vanished again and reappeared and continued the process of destroying spears. Sometimes he would destroy one with a punch on the handle or he would do a round house kick again. On the ground, it was an amazing show as sparks flew in the air.

"This is interesting," said Ukyo as he watched the show. Before Junpuu could as what, Ukyo continued. "That Bikoutai takes up a large amount of chakra each time teleports himself. Simply put, he will kill himself from chakra exhaustion if he keeps this up."

Indeed, Ukyo was right. Naruto, after destroying the last spear in the air, had used up the last drop of his chakra. His tail returned to normal and he began to fall. As he fell, everything became quiet. Then, a large bird with a young man on it caught Naruto before he hit the ground. The bird then landed on the ground near Mai and she gasped when she saw who the man was.

"Choukan-san," she cried. The bird user sent Naruto on the ground and gave her a grin.

"Sorry we're late," he said. "Setsuen got us a little lost." Before anyone else could say anything, the earth began to shake as a large boar made its way to them. Setsuen, now covered with scars thanks to Naruto, had ropes tied to him. Those ropes were connected to numerous large wagons that carried at least forty per. Then, almost right behind them, were the Tora bandits. Oodora was carrying their members in a similar fashion.

As soon as they got close enough, the ropes broke and the summoned bosses stopped. The wagons continued to roll and went right into the Panda bandits formations, rolling over anyone who happened to be in the way. Soon afterwards, the three groups began to engage in battle.

"What are we waiting for," shouted someone in the crowd. There were shouts of agreement and the people began to charge into the battle field. Soon the people from Milky Way were in the fight as well. Well, most of them. Six members from the Akimichi clan had stayed along with Mai and Asahi. They bent down and took off Naruto's trench coat and weights to examine him for a moment. Saying nothing, they pulled out a blue pill and forced him to swallow it. Then, they all made some hand signs and placed their palms over Naruto's body. Mai looked worried.

"Don't worry," said one of the Akimichi's. "We aren't hurting him. We are transferring our chakra to the Kitsune-sennin and, at the same time, speeding up his own chakra recovery. This will only take a few minutes."

On the battle field, there was chaos. Zanku was taking down people left and right with his Fushiken and Chouon Bakudan. Yoen was going all out with his kenjutsu and Ranshin was helping with his taijutsu. Even the Hyuga sisters were helping out with the Kiaten. While the members and the villagers fought, the sennins fought their own battles. Junpuu was fighting Oninenshou and Shinja was fighting Yuri. Every time Oninenshou thought that he got a hit in with his satetsu, it turned out all he hit was a clone. Yuri was having a hard time as Shinja used her poison techniques to kill anything that came near her. While they fought, their summons raged a battle of their own with biting and claws and such.

Elsewhere, Hanabunta had thrown down his scope, turned around, and headed for his horse.

"What are you doing sir?" cried a nearby soldier. "We have orders not to enter the battle field until the sennins are done fighting."

"Then stay," he spat back as he mounted his horse. "I joined the army to protect the people of Milky Way from the bandits and that is what I'll do."

"But the Emperor…"

"To hell with him! If he is willing to ignore the people, then I have no reason to serve him!" With that he too charged into the field of war.

Ukyo was using his earth tail as he crushed the skull of a Tora member as he made his way to were Naruto lay helpless. This was his chance. He could kill Naruto and then he would have all his wishes. Nothing was going to stop him now. He continued to make his way towards the fallen blond until he heard Zanku yell, "**Chouon Bakudan!**" Ukyo jumped back in time as a large creator appeared were he once stood. Zanku then land on the ground and stared at the guy he just attacked. His eyes widened when he saw his face.

"What the fuck…"

"So the swearing baka wants to get in my way," said Ukyo in an amused tone. His tail raised and then hit the earth and left a small crater.

"Why the hell do you look like Naruto," demanded Zanku as he readied his sword. Ukyo sighed.

"Why would I tell some useless fool something like that," replied Ukyo with a sneer. He paused for a moment and then gave Zanku a sadistic smile. "You know, Naruto blames you for what happened to Asahi that time." Zanku's eyes widened. "All you had to do was watch her for a few hours and you let her get poisoned."

"Shut up! How could you know something like that?!"

"I know because I was there when he felt it," was the reply. Zanku, having enough of this, charged at him and swung his zanbato at him like he was about to hit a homerun. Imagine his shock when Ukyo simply stopped it with one hand. Zanku tried to pull it back but the red eyed blond held the blade in place. Then, in a split second, Ukyo released the sword and then moved in front of Zanku to deliver a punch to his gut. Zanku was sent flying and when he landed blood soaked the earth. "Useless fool," said Ukyo as he continued to walk to Naruto while releasing his tail.

Mai was watching the six Akimichi's as they continued their work on Naruto. They seemed to be losing weight as time went on.

"Almost done," said one of them.

"With what?" came a familiar voice from behind. Mai spun around and was shocked to see a red eyed Naruto. "It doesn't matter. Mai-_chan_, will you please step out of the way so I can kill him? I'm only asking once." Mai responded by activating her Sharingan and slipping into a fighting stance. "I'll take that as a no."

"Who are you?" demanded Mai. "How do you know my name? Why do you want to kill Naruto-kun?" Ukyo chuckled as she asked these questions.

"I am, for the time being, Ukyo. I know your name because I know you. And I want to kill your _Naruto-kun_ because only that will bring me happiness." Mai was a bit confused with that answer. But, before she could ask anything else Ukyo yelled "**Juutsume!**" Mai closed her eyes and braced herself as the blue chakra claw sailed her way. Fortunately for her, she was not the target. The jutsu went right past her and hit one of the Akimichi's and sent him rolling into two others. The other two quickly moved over to their fallen clans men.

When Mai opened her eyes, Ukyo had already moved past her. She turned to see him taking his time as he headed towards Naruto. He was savoring each step like a little child does with candy trying to make it last longer. Mai, acting quickly, began to go through hand signs as fast as she could. Then Ukyo vanished from sight as if he were a ghost.

"Nice try," said Ukyo from behind her right before he gave her a kick in the back. She flew several feet, landed with a thud, and rolled into a stop near Naruto. Ukyo chuckled when he saw this. It was as if fate its self was giving them a chance to say goodbye. Once again he began to walk and only stopped when one last obstacle stood between him and his prey; Asahi. She stood there with her tiny arms stretched, holding her ground. He said one word to her. "Move."

"No!" shouted Asahi. Ukyo made no more demands and picked her up by her kimono.

"Ya know," he said, "it's because of you that I never got to go home. While Naruto isn't bitter about it, **I** am." He then pulled back his free arm and clenched his fist. Asahi closed her eyes tightly when she saw the fist begin to move towards her head. The sound of flesh being hit was heard and Ukyo let go of the girls' kimono.

Asahi opened her eyes when she felt someone catch her. She was cradled in his left arm while his right was extended. Ukyo was on his hands and knees several feet away with a bloody nose and lip. It took a moment for the poor girl to process this. When she was done, she began to cry huge crocodile tears.

"Hey there," said Naruto gently. "Don't tell me you lost all your courage just because I showed up."

"S-S-Sorry n-niisan," cried Asahi.

"Shh," said Naruto as he slowly put her down. "You did every good. Now your aniki has a big job for you. I want you to go over to Mai-chan and stay with her till this is over. Can you do that for me?" Asahi nodded and went over to where Mai lay on the ground. Naruto then turned to his look-a-like who had gotten up off the ground. "How could someone so good looking even think of hurting a little girl? Makes me ashamed that we have the same face." Ukyo snapped his nose back into place before speaking.

"So you know that I'm not wearing a henge," said Ukyo. "If I were, then it would have dispelled when you hit me."

"I'm smarter than I let on," replied Naruto as he crossed his arms. "Now I think you have some explaining to do."

"Very well," said Ukyo. "I was once one of your kage bunshins. Junpuu took me during your fight with Choukan and made me real."

"How is that possible?" asked Naruto.

---

"The kage bunshin brought many benefits," said Haran as he continued his story. "They could fool doujutsus. They could send what they learned back to the creator after being destroyed. They were also useful in a fight since they could be created out of nothing. Yet they couldn't do what the Uzumaki wanted.

"He continued to work and later created the Shōten no Jutsu. This jutsu allows a person to create an exact duplicate of a person from memories to their bloodline limit and their strength would be equal to the amount that was put into it. It keep the jutsu from deactivating too soon, a human sacrifice was needed.

"Kage bunshin extracts a piece of the mind and gives it form. Shōten no Jutsu changes another's form. By combining these two jutsus, the Kinjutsu Ogi: Kage tame Jinniku no jutsu was created. This jutsu created an almost exact duplicate of the caster that would have free will. There were flaws, like any jutsu, but one stood out."

"What was that?" asked Tsunade.

"The clone would always try to kill the original," answered Haran. "The clone would always feel like a clone as long as the original lived. So, the clone would eventually try to kill the original or destroy everything around the original. It was as if the user let lose a caged beast that was his or her repressed emotions. In appearance, they would look the same. Their personalities were another issue. Seeing no real use for this jutsu, it was labeled forbidden and locked away. The last person to use it was Itachi here." Everyone turned their attention to the Uchiha.

"I was tired," he said. "I wanted to spend more time with my little brother and spend time with Hana-chan and Anko-chan. But my tousan kept pushing me to be the best and never gave me a moments rest. I remembered hearing the Uzumaki clan had been clone experts so I snuck into their clan home and found some scrolls. Along with Kinjutsu Ogi: Kage tame Jinniku no jutsu I was able to learn Bunshin Daibakuha."

"Didn't you know about the jutsus faults?" asked Sakura. Itachi looked a little ashamed of himself.

"I kind of…skipped the fifteen warning labels," he said. Upon hearing that, Tsunade and Sakura face faulted. "Anyways, at first it seemed to work perfectly. I was spending time with the people I cared about and still doing all the jobs that were given to me. However, my clone began to start fights with my father. Then, one day, he killed my best friend while I was away in Wave country enjoying the beach. Once I found out, I raced back and returned just in time to see him using Tsukuyomi on Sasuke. Realizing the horrible mistake I made, I killed him and left the village. When I killed him, I gained all his knowledge and his experiences. That is how I got the Mangekyo Sharingan. When I saw my brother again, I thought that if I showed him how large the gap between our powers was, he would give up. I never imagined that it would go this far."

"Why didn't you tell him the truth?" asked Sakura.

"For being labeled as the smartest kunoichi of your class you ask a lot of stupid questions," said Haran.

"You know what he was like," said Itachi. "No matter what I said, he wouldn't listen. Also, in a way I did kill my clan."

Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temples. Now she had to figure out her next move. But first…sake.

---

"I see," said Naruto after Ukyo explained everything to him. "So you want to kill me because you want my life."

"That and one other thing," said Ukyo as his smile vanished. "YOU LEFT ME YOU BASTARD!" Naruto blinked.

"I what?"

"We were always together," said Ukyo. "I was there every time those assholes beat us to a bloody pulp. We felt the same rage and we dreamed the same sweat dream of revenge. We both wanted to make them pay for what they did. Rubbing their families in our faces to remind us of what we could never have. We…hated them all. Then, the night that baka tricked us, we were nearly one. But that sensei had to say those words.

"After that, you spent less time with me. You slowly stopped hating the villagers and cared for your precious people. Then, I was all alone. Only coming out when you lost control of the Kyuubi. And, when he was gone, I was left alone in the dark of your mind."

"I…I never knew," said a stunned Naruto.

"Now," said Ukyo with hate in his red eyes, "I will kill you and do what we should have done. Burn that hellhole to the ground. Take their women for ourselves. Destroy all who mocked us and hurt us."

"Sorry, but I won't let you," said Naruto. "There are people there that I care about and I will continue to protect them even if I am here."

"Why should you when they don't give a damn about you," said Ukyo. "Think about it. Iruka, Sarutobi, or Tsunade could have taken us in. They all saw how we suffered and did nothing until we were close to death. Kakashi knew as well. But did he take one moment away from his stupid book to teach us anything real? NO! The man who had copied over a thousand jutsus didn't teach us one of them when it could have helped. Hell, he left us to DIE! Not one person in that place is innocent. Not one!"

"That's where you're wrong," said Naruto as he flared his chakra. "In their own way, they helped me. Obaachan, Iruka-sensei, and Oji-san helped me more than you believe. And I won't let you destroy their home."

"So be it," said Ukyo. "**Bikoutai: Kazan!**" Ukyo then grabbed the chain that went across his chest and took it off. It then burst into flames, but did not melt. He was about to charge at Naruto if it were not for someone yelling, "**Fushiken!**" Ukyo dodged the sonic blades and turned to see a bloody Zanku fall to his knees but kept his head up.

"I think that's copyrighted shit sucker," he said.

"Like I give a damn you half dead zombie!" roared Ukyo as he charged at Zanku to finish the job. Once he was close enough, he swung the chain at him. However, Naruto moved and got in the way of the attack. The chain wrapped itself around his arm, pain coursing through his body as it burned at the flesh.

"Like I said," said Naruto through the pain as his free hand began to glow blue, "I will protect those that are important to me. **Juutsume!**" Naruto slashed at Ukyo's chest and blood began to cover his chest. Ukyo let go of the chain, but Naruto wasn't finished with him. Pouncing on him, knocking him over, and he began to repeatedly hit him with both fists. Naruto started his the chest area and then slowly worked his way up to his face. _I won't let him hurt anyone else!_ That thought blazed across Naruto's mind until Ukyo managed to kick Naruto off of him.

Ukyo now looked like a mess. His face was covered by bruises and his checks looked a bit puffy. He could feel he had several loss teeth and a few cracked ribs. The ribs were the main problem. He could no longer move around like he wanted to. He then began to form a Rasengan in his hand and then added some fire chakra to it. It soon took on the appearance of a candle flame. So far, he had only managed to go as far as this.

Naruto saw this and did the same with his wind chakra. Soon, four blades began to circle the small sphere.

Then, they charged at each other and hurled their attacks into the other.

"**Katon: Rasengan!**"

"**Futon: Rasengan!**"

For a moment, nothing happened when the two attacks hit each other. Then, there was a large explosion that sent the two flying apart from each other. Naruto landed in a skid and Ukyo fell on his ass.

_Shit, that should have worked_, thought Ukyo. _My training is still incomplete. Damn him, damn him to hell._ He looked over and saw that Naruto was quickly making his way to him. _I can't take another attack. I have to run!_ He quickly made the sign and yelled "**Bikoutai: Raimei!**" and then vanished.

"Shit," said Naruto as he stopped dead in his tracks. Now he had no idea where Ukyo could be. He knew that the range on that tail was at least five miles. With a sigh, he hurried over to Mai. "You O.K.?" he asked when he got there.

Mai slowly opened her eyes and forced a smile.

"Never better," she lied weakly. That kick she got from Ukyo had done some serious damage. In truth, she was lucky that he had released the earth tail or else she would have been broken in two.

"Glad to hear it Mai-chan," said Naruto softly as he kissed her check. "This will be over shortly. I promise."

"Oh, I'm fine by the way," yelled Zanku as he used his sword to keep his balance. "Thanks for asking you assholes. I can sure feel the fuckin love here!"

"Like I said," said Naruto as he moved in the direction of the battle field, "this will be over soon." He then began to form a new Rasengan. At first it looked like the Fūton: Rasenshuriken. Then, it began to shrink and the wind chakra began to move. Soon, the chakra sphere was a fourth of its original size and the wind chakra now seemed to orbit around the sphere as two disks that intercepted each other at the center to form an X shape (think like an atom). This new Rasengan seemed to make a screeching noise that was so loud that everyone stopped and turned to face Naruto.

_Shit,_ thought both Yuri and Oninenshou. Remembering the last time they faced similar jutsus and meet defeat by their hands…let's just say they didn't want a repeat.

Naruto then raced into the field and everyone jumped out of his way as he approached, not wanting to be the target of this new jutsu. His target was Junpuu and he knew it.

_Fine then_, thought Junpuu as Oninenshou, Yuri, and Shinja left the area. _I'll show them all! I'll use a Bunshin Daibakuha the moment before impact and destroy him. I'll show the world the power of a true Uzumaki!_

Then, things went in slow motion. Just as the new Rasengan was about to hit its mark, Junpuu created a Bunshin Daibakuha just as planned and began to jump away. Then Naruto called out the name of his finished wind Rasengan: "**Fūton: Rasenkamikaze!**" The clone was destroyed, but there was no bang. And Junpuu felt himself being sucked back into the attack and a dome was created.

"What is going on?!" he screamed as the winds began to lash at his body. Then, he remembered something from long ago.

**Flashback:**

"Fine," said Junpuu. "But I still want something. Your eyes see the future right?"

"Yes," said the old man. "I am able to see thing that will and might happen. The farther down the road I see, the greater the odds that it will not happen as I see it. Such is the way of free will."

"Tell me then," said Junpuu. "Tell me, will my dreams come true? Will I have the victory I seek?" The old man's eyes began to glow again and when they stopped he spoke again.

"I see you at the height of your power. Your forces will have all they need to break down the doors of kingdoms and burn their flags. You, Junpuu the Panda-sennin, will rule all of the Celestial Dynasties. However, I foresee one who can defeat you. He will be of your clan, but will not hold the same hate in his heart as you do. His spirit will be free like the wind. He will be as stubborn as the earth. His rage will be like lightning, powerful but short lived. His heart shall be as large as an ocean. And he will burn with a will of fire."

**End Flashback**

"No," cried Junpuu. "This cannot be!" Those were his last words as the winds continued to cut him in a similar fashion as the Rasenshuriken. What made it different was how small the cuts were. The Rasenshuriken cuts a person down at the cellular level. But, the Rasenkamikaze cuts at the atomic level. The winds cut the bonds that held the atoms together and began to blow them away. When the attack was done, Junpuu was not dead. He had been erased.

When it was over Naruto fell to the ground, completely drained of all his chakra. Seeing as their leader was dead, the Panda bandits began to run away. The Tora and Inoshishi bandits began to leave as well, taking their wounded with them. The people, who stayed, slowly walked over to Naruto and gently picked him up and began to carry him back to the Pass, unaware that the army was heading right for them.

---

It was five years later and Itachi and Kisame were doing another D-ranked mission. Somehow Tsunade had managed to get the council to let them join the village. However, it came at a small cost to them. Six years of D-ranked missions to prove their loyalty. As they walked to the tower, Kisame sent glares at the cat in his hand.

"I'll kill this beast if we have to catch him again," he said.

"Would you rather be with Diedara and Haran doing paperwork," asked Itachi. Kisame violently shook his head no. The last time they had to do it made him wish he were dead.

"Excuse me," said a voice. Itachi, Kisame, and Tora turned their heads and went wide eyed at the sight of the man before them. He was a short, bald man with a white beard that touched the floor and wore green spandex. "I'm looking for Gai-kun. Can you help me find my old youthful student?" Before either one could say anything, Ranshin began to cough up some blood and then fell to the ground.

"Kisame, give me the cat," said Itachi as he quickly took the bane of the genins life. "I'll take the cat to the Hokage and tell her about this…man. You take him to the hospital." Itachi then turned and began to walk away.

"Hey," shouted Kisame. "Why do I have to take him?"

"Because," said Itachi without turning around or stopping, "I refuse to touch a man wearing spandex."

An hour later…

"How is he Tsunade-sama?" asked Gai. Tsunade had just stepped out of the examination room and shook her head.

"He's dying," she said. "I have given him medication and that's the best I can do."

"How long does he have?" asked Gai as tears fell.

"Maybe a month or two," said Tsunade. She then rested her palm on his shoulder. "You can go in now. He's been asking for you." Gai nodded and walked in and Tsunade followed in case she was needed.

Ranshin lay on the hospital bed with his eyes half closed. His mouth was slightly open and he had at least a dozen tubes sticking into his body. He moved his head in the direction of a sound that entered the room. He followed that sound until it was next to him.

"Sensei," said Gai quietly. "It's me, Gai."

"Gai-kun, it's been too long," said Ranshin in a voice just above a whisper. "I hope you are feeling youthful."

"Hai Ranshin-sensei," replied Gai. "Tsunade-sama says that you don't have much time left." At that, the elder man chuckled.

"We never have enough time," he said aloud. "I just wish I could see Yoen-kun and Naruto-kun one last time."

This caught everyone's attention. Naruto was a very uncommon name after all. A flicker of hope appeared in Tsunade as she made her way to the bedside.

"Excuse me," she said. "But this Naruto person, did he have blond hair, blue eyes, and whisker marks?"

"Yes," breathed Ranshin. "I remember Uzumaki-kun very well. I just wish I could have been there to help him. But I wanted to see as many of my old students again before the end came. I…world…kitsune." With that, the old man passed out.

"Hokage-sama," began Gai as he raised his head, "do you really think that he's alive?"

"Hai," said Tsuande as tears fell off her face. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a rescue mission to set up."

Sniff, I'm done. Twenty pages. Hell ya! You all better review!

Should Itachi be with anyone?


	14. Chapter 14

I decided to do this update now for several reasons. The first being I wanted to get it out of the way. There is also the fact that it's a bit short.

Now, some of you have made some good suggestions and others…not so good. First off, I WILL NOT MAKE THIS NARU/SAKU! Second, I guess I could do Itachi/Ayame. The other pairing have been made so please don't complain. When I write a story, I usual have these kinds of things planned out with a few exceptions.

Now things will get interesting. As I said last time this is five years into the future. Some things have changed and others have not. Please keep this in mind.

Now, on a side note, my brother finally started watching Naruto. However, he has only seen a handful of episodes. Believe me; he has a lot to learn. Like, for example, Ino should be with Naruto. Ya right! She has some skills, I'll give her that, but she is annoying with that loud mouth of hers. At least he thinks that Sakura is a bitch. There is hope for him yet!

Now, on with the show.

---

Tsunade sat before the council. It had been a week since Ranshin had arrived in the village and had come to several times. These moments were brief and they could only ask him a few questions. Now Tsunade was fighting for something she should have done a long time ago. In the room sat Homaru, Koharu, the Fire Daimyo, and Koyuki Kazehana the former ruler of Snow Country.

"We will not have that, that _thing_ enter thing village!" said Koharu who was close to shouting.

"That _thing_, as you call him, saved my life and helped my country before your Uchiha took it over," said Koyuki.

"We can talk about _it_ any way we see fit," declared Homaru. "I don't know why a _former_ Daimyo was even invited to this meeting."

"Because I wanted her to be here," said the Fire Daimyo in a stern tone. "Tsunade-sama, are you sure that this Uzumaki person is still alive?"

"According to what we have been able to get out of Ranshin, he last saw Naruto Uzumaki five years ago in the Milky Way Dynasty," said Tsunade. "For right now I would like to work under the presumption that he is still alive. As you all know, the Celestial Dynasties have keep a powerful blockade going for the last 250 years or so. Ships going in and out are very rare and the ticket prices for these ships are insane. Also, any form of mail is intercepted and destroyed. However, recently, this has stopped. So, I would like to send a small team to find him and bring him back to the village."

"Yes we should send a team," said Koharu. "A team of Hunter-nins that is. Naruto Uzumaki should be branded as a missing-nin and eliminated as soon as possible. He has abandoned the village."

"Weren't you listening," said Koyuki. "There was a blockade and ticket prices were far too high for a 13-year old boy to pay for them. He probably fears that if he returned now you would kill him."

"Yes we would," said Homaru. "There are no excuses to the rules. Besides, how did he get in?"

"Ranshin said he swam to get in and that's also how he got out," said Tsunade. They all looked at her and she shrugged. "Hey, he was Gai's sensei after all. However, he hasn't told us how Naruto got there. But that's not the point. I believe that Naruto could be a great help to us."

"I agree," said a new voice that entered the room. Everyone turned to see Gaara, the Kazekage, and an ANBU enter the room. "Sorry I'm late," he said as he took a seat. "There were things that I needed to do before I came here."

"Like threatening the Hyuga clan that if one of your children was given a bird cage seal you would kill them in such a way that was too horrible for words?" asked Tsunade. Gaara nodded. "Wish I could have been there. Anyways, could you please tell the council why you believe that finding Naruto would be in our best interests?"

"It is simple," said Gaara. "He has shown himself to be a powerful shinobi. Despite what the council has told the villagers, it was not the Uchiha that defeated me during the Sand and Sound invasion."

"Lair!" screamed both Homaru and Koharu. But Gaara ignored them.

"I am also told that he was the one who played a big role in returning Koyuki-sama to power. I would also like to remind the council of this village that you have stopped Tsunade-sama from doing anything to prevent the Uchiha from his conquest. He has already taken over Waterfall, Rain, Snow, Star, Grass, and is now attacking the Rock. Despite this, every diplomatic attempt at gaining allies you two have ruined. The Cloud wants nothing to do with this village after the council edited the treaty behind the Hokages back. Every time one of the smaller villages has asked for assistance, you have stalled until going in would mean certain doom."

"How we handle our village is none for your business Kazekage-sama," said Homaru bitterly.

"But it is mine," said the Fire Daimyo. "I know all about what you have been doing these last eight years and I will not allow it anymore. Too many people have died for no reason other than to feed the ego a power hungry maniac like the Uchiha. However, I don't want to spread our recourses too thin looking for one person."

"I feel the same way," said Tsunade. "I think that our ANBU and Hunter-nin should stay here. I have already picked out four people that should be able to do this mission quickly." The Daimyo nodded in approval.

"I would also like to suggest that one of my ANBU join this team," said Gaara as he looked at the ANBU with him who nodded. From what everyone could tell, she wore the standard black attire with no swords and a cat mask. Her long dark blue hair was braided down her back.

"Very well," said Tsunade. "Are there anymore questions?"

"I suggest that you let us pick one more," said Koharu. "Just in case the Uzumaki has, shall we say, bitter feeling towards the village. For all we know he could be doing what Orochimaru did."

"Very well," said the Fire Daimyo before Tsunade could object. "However, if he tries anything funny, I will make sure that the council will be permanently disbanded."

Later that day, Kiba was sitting in a coffee shop while he cried into his hot drink. In front of him was Shino, who was wondering why the hell he was there.

"She left me again," sobbed Kiba. Shino groaned.

"This is the fifth time," said Shino. "Perhaps it is time to move on."

"B-But the only girl for me is Yugito-chan," cried Kiba.

Yes, it is true. Kiba and Yugito started going out three years ago shortly before the alliance broke down. They would sometimes make detours during missions to see each other and do things like that. However, they were also prone to have very dangerous fights that made people wonder if they would kill each other before they kissed.

"Well, if this is anything like the last few times then she'll be back," said Shino as he replayed the last few times this happened. "She'll show up and say sorry. Then you two will kick me out of my apartment so that your sister doesn't find out you are having sex. Then I will have to clean everything and get new wallpaper. (don't ask)"

"Really?" asked Kiba. Before his teammate could say anything, an ANBU appeared before them.

"Jonin Kiba Inuzuka, you are wanted by the Hokage for an important mission," and with that said the ANBU vanished.

Neji sighed as he stood in front of a door with butterflies on it. Tenten had not come out of their daughters room since they all returned from the Main House. Neji wanted to tell her that he understood what she was going through. That it would be alright. That this didn't affect her worth and that she could still have a life. But, even in his own head, these words seemed hollow. It wasn't right, not in the least. But the rules were the rules and nothing could change that. He knew this day would come the moment that he saw her eyes. Truth be told, he had hoped that she wouldn't have them.

He turned his head to a picture on the wall. In it had all of the Rookie 9 and Team Gai before Lee's surgery. He scanned the picture for a moment before his eyes rested on Naruto.

"If you were still here, you would have made Hokage by now," he said. "I know you would have. And you would have stopped this practice."

"You do know that you're talking aloud," said Tenten as she left their daughters room.

"How is she?" he asked.

"It appears that one of the more sadistic members of the clan but on the seal," she said with gritted teeth. "He activated it several times on her just to see if it work and to remind her of her place. She's just a four year old girl and…"

"I know," said Neji. "Believe me." Then, suddenly, Neji pushed Tenten back as an ANBU appeared in the room.

"Jonin Neji Hyuga, the Hokage has an important mission for you," and with that he left.

Shikamaru was playing Go with Asuma while his son, Hikaru was running around in the yard like a madman. In appearance, he was like a mini Shikamaru except that his eyes weren't half closed all the time. He also seemed to be bursting with energy and his personality seemed to resemble his mother.

"Pity I didn't have a daughter," said Asuma as he sent down a piece. "It would have been nice to see our kids get together."

"That would have been troublesome," said Shikamaru. He then set down a piece and captured a stone. "Looks like I'm winning."

"Don't count me out yet," said Asuma as he began to think of his next move. Before he could pick up a stone, an ANBU appeared.

"Jonin Shikamaru Nara, the Hokage has an important mission for you," and with that said he left.

"Troublesome," said Shikamaru as he got up.

Elsewhere, Sakura was combing her daughter hair. Like her mother she had pink hair, green eyes, and a slightly larger forehead than most. However, thanks to the father, her eyebrows were a bit larger so they evened out. Sakura was just glad she didn't have rectangular eyebrows like Lee.

"Kaasan, when will Tousan come home," asked the girl.

"Soon Akane," said Sakura. "He is on a very important mission right now and won't be back for a while."

"O.K.," mumbled Akane. Sakura gave the three year old girl a knowing smile.

"I'm sure when he gets back he'll start your training," she said. "I, personally, think you are too young. But, if this is what you really want then I'm right behind you. Just don't start dressing like your father."

"Scary," mumbled Akane. _**That's no joke**_, cried Inner Akane. _**No way I'll ever wear that. How could Kaasan even think about going outside with Tousan dressing like that?**_

"Excuse me,' said an ANBU who just appeared before them. Akane jumped a bit and then ran behind her mother. "Tsunade-sama has an urgent mission for Field Medic Sakura Haruno (yes Lee married into her family)."

A short time later, all four of them were in the Hokages office. Tsunade was sitting behind her desk and next to her was a Sand ANBU.

"I have an important long term mission for you all," said Tsunade. "I have just found evidence that someone the village thought was killed in action is alive. I am sending you four, plus this ANBU, and one other on a mission to bring him back."

"With all due respect Tsunade-sama this isn't the best time right now," said Neji. "There are some personal matters back home that I have to take care of."

"I can't do it either sensei," said Sakura. "Lee is out right now and I don't want to leave Akane with a babysitter for an unknown time."

"W-What if Yugito-chan comes back," wailed Kiba.

"This is too troublesome," said Shikamaru. "I bet Gaara sent that ANBU to kill me for getting her sister pregnant and moving her here."

"I assure you that you are wrong," said the ANBU as she took of the mask. Everyone except Tsunade stared at the person behind it as she turned to Kiba. "And Kiba-kun, please stop that crying."

"HINATA!" cried everyone in shock.

"Yes it's Hinata," said an annoyed Tsunade. "I'm surprised that you didn't know Neji since Gaara left the triplets with Haishi."

"Was that wise," asked Neji.

"Gaara made a powerful…impression of what would happen if they tried anything," said Hinata. "Also, Tousan has been meaning to seen his grandchildren for a while now. So, while I'm on this mission, Gaara and the kids will be staying here with Tousan. Baki-sensei is watching over the village while we are away."

"Who would have ever thought that our shy girl would one day be ANBU," said Sakura. Hinata giggled at this until a cough from Tsunade brought them all back to attention.

"Now then, I know you all have things you need to do but this is important," she said. "The mission is to find one Naruto Uzumaki." The room became quiet and the sound for crickets was heard. Then…

"WHAT?!!?" they all shouted.

"Yes," said Tsunade. She then began to tell them of Ranshin and what he had told her. "Based on this, we know where he is and his whereabouts. Ranshin never said anything about what he has been doing. All we know is that it was 'youthful' and that his actions were that of someone in the 'springtime of their youth'. So, let's just assume that he's fine and has been unable to leave the country.

"I have picked you all based on your skills and your knowledge of him. Kiba, you have the best nose around and you are the village's best tracker. Shikamaru, this mission will need planning and your jutsus will help us if Naruto needs to calm down a bit. Neji, I'm sure that with Hinata there will be nothing outside of your sights. Sakura, you were Naruto's teammate and know him the best. Also, in case something goes wrong your medical skills will be needed."

"Do you know who the last person will be?" asked Shikamaru.

"That would be me," said a new voice. Everyone turned and glared at Kakashi. "The council already filled me in. Didn't expect Naruto to survive a Chidori but then again he is the most surprising ninja."

Tsunade just continued to glare at him. The council had to be up to something. Did they hope that Naruto would attack him so he would be forced to defend himself? Whatever it was, she knew they were up to something.

Kakashi stood there as they all glared at him. He didn't care that much. He simply pulled out the last Icha Icha book ever written and began to read while he remembered his meeting with the council.

**Kakashi's Flashback:**

"So, Naruto's alive," said Kakashi in an uncaring manner. "So, why ask me to join the rescue?"

"There are concerns that we believe Tsunade-sama didn't think about," said Homaru. "We want you to gather intelligence on Celestial to find out why they are now opening their blockade. Bring back anything you deem noteworthy."

"We will also need insurance," said Koharu. "We cannot allow the Uzumaki to simply return without some way of ensuring that he will do as we say. Or, if he decides not to return, something that we can use as a bargaining chip."

"Whatever the case," said Homaru, "you are the only one we can trust for this mission."

**End flashback**

"Alright," said Tsunade, snapping Kakashi out of his thoughts. "You all leave tomorrow at 5A.M. and make your way to the port. There will be a ship waiting for you that will leave at noon. If you are late (glares at Kakashi) then I will make sure you will never able to read another book again and have you banned from all shinobi activities. Do I make myself clear?"

"Hai," said Kakashi right before he vanished. The others began to leave, but Tsunade stopped them.

"Please bring back my little brother," she said.

---

Elsewhere, Naruto stood before the Honor Stone. Behind him were Hokages 1 through 4. Naruto turned around and let out a sigh.

"Why can't I have normal dreams like everyone else?" he whined.

"Naruto, something important will soon happen," said Sarutobi.

"Something important is always going to happen," replied Naruto. "I have too many things to do right now to worry about every little thing that may or may not happen. Sorry Ojisan but you all wasted a trip."

"Are you that selfish boy?" asked the Yondaime. Naruto turned to face him and looked him square in the eyes. "I thought the Leaf shinobi were made of tougher stuff."

"You forget that I am no longer bond to that village," said Naruto calmly. "So don't go bringing that up. And don't you for one second call me selfish. If someone comes along that threatens the people who are precious to me I will deal with it. Not until then." And with that, the dream dissolved as Naruto was woken up by his son.

Naruto looked at the boy and smiled. His hair was black and so was his tail except for the tip which was white. His hair was spiky like his was and he had the saw eye color and whisker marks. He remember the day he was born. It started out as a nice summer's day. Then, while he was being born, it began to snow. Some people say that as a sign of bad luck. But Naruto just said that it was a friend wishing him the best of luck. And so, Naruto decided to name him after said friend.

"Is something the matter Haku?" asked Naruto. "You should be in bed. You know how your Kaasan gets when she finds you out of bed."

"I had a bad dream," said Haku. "Bad men were doing bad things."

"What did these bad men look like? Do you remember?" Haku shook his head as he gripped his stuffed fox. "Alright champ, you can sleep with us tonight. Just watch out for Kaasan. She's…well, you know." Haku nodded as he curled up next to his father. Soon, they were both asleep in bed.

Special One Time Omake:

Shortly after the battle at the Pass, Naruto and company were called to a television station. When they got there they were greeted by to annoying people who had never been on a date or in the sun for that matter. They had oily slicked back hair and glasses four inches thick.

"Thank you for coming," said one of them, spitting with every word. "We would like to make an anime about you, Kitsune-sennin"

"Me?" asked Naruto with stars in his eyes.

"Yes," spat the other one. "We want you opinion on the first episode." He then clicked a button on the remote he was holding. The lights went off and a TV came on. Then, the theme music started.

"Fighting evil by moonlight

Winning love by daylight

Never running from a real fight

He is the one named Kitsune-sennin

He will...never turn her back on a friend

He is... always there to defend

He is...the one on whom we can depend

He is the one named Kitsune-sennin."

As the song play, Naruto's eye twitched as an animated form of him dance around like an idiot on crack. Soon everyone's eyes were twitching. Asahi had been replaced by a monkey. Zanku was dress like a priest. Mai had bigger breasts and acted like a ditz.

"So, what did you all think," asked the first guy when it was over.

"Horrible," said Naruto.

"I'm (sniff) not a monkey," cried Asahi.

"Like hell I'd dress like that," roared Zanku. "That would mean I'd have to give up swearing and I say fuck no!"

"That's degrading to women everywhere," screamed Mai.

"So…you don't like it?" asked the second guy.

"NO!" they all shouted.

"Well…your mom!" they shouted back. (Hey, I knew a guy like that.) Now Asahi was in full blown tears.

"I never knew my Kaasan," she wailed.

"My mother was taken by the fuckin Panda gang," yelled Zanku.

"Let's get them," yelled Mai. Soon all four of them were beating down on the idiots. Even Asahi was helping with a plastic mallet she had. Then, someone new entered the room.

"Sorry about that," he said. "We really should fire these two. Anyways, we have a second one we would like you all to see."

The second theme stared right away.

Tooku de kikoeru koe wo hinto ni

Hitori mata hitori tachiagaru doushi

Kurikaesu dake no fudan doori kutsugaesu

Junbi iize are you ready?

Karadajuu furuwasu shindou ni hageshiku uchinarase yo stomping

Taezu tsuki ugokasu call me kawarazu yuru ga nutsukamu story

Come on!!

Everybody stand up! Agero kyou ichiban no jikan da

Me ni mo tomaranu supiido hantaa

Daremo ga mina toriko kanban yeah! (Come on!)

Everybody hands up! Matashita na hero's come back!!

Zujou kazoe yubi oru count down

Ikuze 3-2-1 make some noise!

What you gonna do? What you gonna do?

Taemanaku nari hibiki kizamu

Deja vu yori mo gotsui shougeki ga

Zenshin wo hashiri hanasan break it down

Turn it up (Turn it up) hey kikoekka?

Sakenda kinou made no koto ga

Kawaru darou madaminu asu e

Koborete afureta omoi no bun made

Machinimatta show time saitechiru shukumei

Dochira ni katamuku shouhai no yukue

Agura kaiterya kyou nimo tsubureru

Nagashita chi to ase onore de nugue

Negai mo puraido mo fukume subete wo seotta tagai no haigo

Nasake wo kaketerya dame ninaru ze

Tamote potensharu mentaru men

Neko mo shakushi mo matta you na hiiroo

Hitoban dake no goran, roman hikou

Oo ii nee sonnan ja nee sa

Kick on the corner mada tari nee ka?

Itsumo to chigau hijou na jinkaku mamoru no sa subete

Like a taamineetaa

Yon kai, go kai de tatsu hairaito (fly high, yeah!)

Isso kono ba de tsutaetaru zo

Everybody stand up! Agero kyou ichiban no jikan da

Me ni mo tomaranu supiido hantaa

Daremo ga mina toriko kanban yeah! (Come on!)

Everybody hands up! Matashita na hero's come back!!

Zujou kazoe yubi oru count down

Ikuze 3-2-1 make some noise!

Mou tashou no risuku wa kakugo desho

Nanka korunda tte tatsu (get it on)

Nare ai ja nai ze kami hitoe no sesshon

Irikunda kanjou kidzukiageta kesshou

Made in hyuuman no dorama no enchou

Marude moesakaru yoshihara no enjou

Endoresu saki mo korogaru nichijou

Warau hodo baka ni narerutte koto

Resseifuku mukaikaze nimo maken

Makikomu nandomo dekuwashite kita ze

Ikudotonaku tatsu kono ba no batoru

Tatakai kata nara kono mi ga satoru

Ichiya niya no tukedakiba ja

Mamoru mon ga chigau na shirohata wo furi na

Hi no moe akogareru hikage wo shiru

Iiwake wa kikan sorekoso ga real

Faito maido i'm proud

Nanikarananima de mada ucchi yanai zo

Yes ka no ja nai itsuka kou warau

Nana kara patto kimeru iku ze aibou

Wakiagaru kansei ga yuuki tonaru

Tachiagareba ima ijou kurushimi tomonau

Soredemo saigo wa kitto warau

Subete sarau shouri to kansei

Everybody stand up! Agero kyou ichiban no jikan da

Me ni mo tomaranu supiido hantaa

Daremo ga mina toriko kanban yeah! (Come on!)

Everybody hands up! Matashita na hero's come back!!

Zujou kazoe yubi oru count down

Ikuze 3-2-1 make some noise!

Everybody stand up! Agero kyou ichiban no jikan da

Me ni mo tomaranu supiido hantaa

Daremo ga mina toriko kanban yeah! (Come on!)

Everybody hands up! Matashita na hero's come back!!

Zujou kazoe yubi oru count down

Ikuze 3-2-1 make some noise!

Let's just say they like this one much better.


	15. Chapter 15

Welcome to the newest chapter of Tails of the Fox Sage. It is finally here, the meeting between the Leaf Team and Naruto. Will he choose to return home or will he give them the finger? If he says hell no, what will the Leaf Team do?

First, before I begin, I would like to explain why the Daimyo let the council put Kakashi on the team. It is very simple; he was giving them enough rope to hang themselves with. Also, there are still five other people who will be watching him.

Also, sorry about that omake last chapter. I got it stuck in my head and it wouldn't leave till I wrote it down. Even I knew it sucked.

Well, on with the show.

---

"Come on guys," yelled Sakura as she waved from the gate. "Lets pick up the pace a bit."

"Sakura, he's waited eight years for us," said Kiba as he and the rest of the group made their way to the gate. Hinata was still in her black ANBU uniform with her hitai-ate around her neck. Kakashi and Shikamaru were wearing their usual attire, their jonin uniforms. Sakura wore a red top, a pink skirt with black skintight shorts under it, and leather gloves. Kiba was wearing an iron fishnet shirt underneath his black leather jacket and long black pants. His dog, Akamaru walked behind him. Neji was wearing traditional Hyuga clan robes. "Besides, we don't even know if he is even here. It could be a coincidence."

"That old man seemed sure," said Shikamaru.

**Flashback**

It had been four days since the team from the Leaf and Sand village had arrived in the Celestial Dynasties. From the moment they set foot on land, they had asked everyone they saw about Naruto. Sakura would show the people they asked the only photo she had of him; sadly, it was the team photo and the blond was glaring at Sasuke. They had visited several villages without any luck. Then…

"Hmm, he looks familiar," said the owner of a ramen stand. "Hold on one second." With that he slowly (as he was old) went into the back and then came back out with a different picture. Standing in front of them, he put the two pictures together and began to compare them. "Well, they do look similar. The ears are the only thing that's wrong. Are you sure you don't have a more recent picture?" he asked as he returned Sakura's picture.

"No," she replied as she accepted the photo.

"So, who was that in the picture," asked Hinata.

"Oh this?" said the old man as he looked at the picture. He then stuffed it into his back pocket before continuing to answer. "About seven years ago a boy called the Kitsune-sennin came through here and saved the village from some bandits. Now he is in charge of his own shinobi village." He paused for a moment as an idea came to mind. "Hey, why don't you go and hire one of his shinobi to help you out?" Tick marks appeared on the backs of everyone's heads. They were shinobi for crying out loud. Then, they realized what he said.

"There are shinobi over here?" asked Kakashi.

"You must be foreigners," said the old man. "Other wise you would have known about them. You see, there used to be three powerful bandit gangs that were led by people called the sennin. They were called that because they could summon powerful creatures, and they were the only ones who had that ability. For hundreds of years, no one could do anything to stop them, then, one day, the Kitsune-sennin appeared. He was unlike the others because he used his abilities to protect the people and arrest the gang members. Then, after three years, he killed the evilest of them all at the Pass of Beginnings.

"However, as soon as the battle was over the Emperors army showed up to arrest him. The Emperor felt that it was wise to eliminate him before he became a threat. When the people heard this they began to rebel and soon were at his gate. Hell, his own mother was against him.

"Then, when the Emperor went to see the Kitsune-sennin in his cell, the sennin suggested making a shinobi village. Then his strength would be the Dynasties strength. Not knowing what else to do in order to keep his kingdom from erupting in civil war, he agreed."

"Wow," said Hinata and Sakura.

"Yes," said the old man with a smile. "When it was announced the other sennin went to their own Emperors and, in exchange for a pardon, also created their own shinobi villages."

"Interesting," said Kakashi as he scratched his chin. "Tell me, what's this Kitsune-sennin like?"

"He is a skilled fighter who protects others with his life," replied the ramen man. "I also remember that he like to make others smile. A sort of kindness that you don't see anymore." He paused for a moment. "He also has an unknown bloodline limit."

Kakashi hmmed at that. There was a chance that this could be Naruto. Kyuubi's chakra could easily be confused as a bloodline limit to people who didn't know the truth about him. However, compared to the brash and loud genin that Kakashi remember this 'Kitsune-sennin' couldn't be Naruto. He sounded like a wise leader, not the number one surprising shinobi ever. That line of thought canceled out Naruto in Kakashi's opinion seeing that his brains were not his strong point. But still, it might be worth checking out.

"So were can we find this Kitsune-sennin?" asked Kakashi.

"The Kitsune Village can be found about a day's journey west of here," said the old man. "If you hurry you might make it in time for the chunin exams. They're being held there this year."

"Chunin exams?" questioned Shikamaru.

**End Flashback**

Now they stood before the large gates of the Kitsune Village. The gate seemed to be as large as the one back home and the concrete wall seemed to go on forever in both directions. In the middle of the gate was the village symbol, a foxes head with the ying yang symbol right above it with a tail wrapped around it. The fox's eyes were squint to give it a more mischievous look.

Sakura, despite her eagerness, paused at the sight. She had been wondering the entire trip what Naruto had been doing these last eight years: How much had he changed? Was he more mature? Had he gotten stronger? As she looked at the doors she knew that he had done great things, despite Kakashi telling her not to get her hopes up.

As the group walked threw the smaller door they were greeted by two shinobi who were on guard duty. The first thing that the group noticed was their uniforms were almost identical to the Leaf's uniform. The only thing that was different was the color. The uniform was black and the vest was a dark red. On both of their heads was a hitai-ate with the same symbol that they saw on the gate.

"Welcome to the Kitsune Village," said the first guard in a cheerful tone. "May I ask why you are here?"

"Hai," said Kakashi. "We are here to request a mission. We lost a member of our village eight years ago and we would like to find him."

"I see," said the guard. "I'm sorry to hear that. Well, all new missions will have to wait until the chunin exam ends. They should be done at about three o'clock. But, before you can enter I need you to sign some forms. It's so you understand the dangers of being in a village like ours."

The group went up to the table and began to read the forms. Except for Kakashi who just signed them without reading a thing. Sakura couldn't help but blink as she read the forms. Accidentally hit by kunai? Random searches? The list seemed to cover everything. The last bit caught her eye as it was in bold print. It stated that any mistreatment of children would not be tolerated and those who choose to ignore this would be sentence to life in prison.

"So, I take it it's your first time here," said the same guard.

"Ya," said Kiba.

"Well, if you don't want to watch the chunin exam there is plenty to see," he said. "We have several weapon shops the sell unique weapons, the Memorial Walk, one of the finest orphanages in the Celestial Dynasties, the…"

"Wait," interrupted Hinata. "Did you just mention an orphanage? That's a strange thing to mention."

"Well the Kitsune-sennin takes great pride in it," said the second guard as he began to collect everyone's papers. "You see, Kitsune-sama was an orphan. When he built this village he built the orphanage and created many laws to protect the children from the same kind of abuse that he went through. Can you image it? What kind of monsters abuse children? An orphan no less. Don't they know they have it hard enough?"

"You sound as if you are familiar with the experience," said Neji.

"Hai," said the second guard. "Before the formation of the village, I was an orphan. The former Panda-sennin killed my parents and then sold their corpses on the black market. That's why I came here to become a shinobi. So I could work under the man who killed that bastard."

"It seems a lot of people respect this Kitsune-sennin," stated Kakashi offhandedly.

"You better believe it," said the first guard.

"I would give up my life for him," said the second guard.

_That look in their eyes,_ thought Kakashi as he stared back at them. _There is no hesitation, no fear. They follow this 'Kitsune-sennin' completely. I will have to report this to the council._

"Well, we'll be on our way," said Kakashi. The team gave the guards a bow and went into the village.

"Hey, the chunin exam will be starting soon," called out the first guard. "It's free admission but seating is limited!" He then turned to the other guard. "Well they seemed nice."

"Maybe," said the second as he tapped his chin. "But did you notice the symbol on their hitai-ate? I have never seen a leaf or an hourglass before."

"Neither have I," said the first. "Must be one of those new minor villages that are trying to make it to the big leagues."

"We better keep an eye on them," said the second. "I'll inform Zanku-taichou about them." With that he vanished from sight in a puff of smoke.

"No fair," whined the first guard. "Now I'm all alone."

Much to everyone's surprise, the village was almost exactly like the Leaf village. This made getting around easier, but still creepy. Walking towards the center they came to the stadium, just like in their village.

"O.K.," said Kiba. "I think Naruto is here. I mean, this place is exactly like home except it has more ramen stands. Who else would build it like this?"

"I'm beginning to agree," said Kakashi.

A minute later they were in the stands of the stadium. Even the fighting ground looked the same. They began to scan the crowd until the saw the spot were the Hokages box should have been. There sat four people. One of them was a person wrapped in bandages wearing a fur coat sitting in a rocking chair. In his arms was a half burned china doll. Next to him was a woman in a tight tiger striped dress with green hair and large breasts. At the other end was a female version of Orochimaru. At the edge of the box stood a man with shoulder length blond hair wearing a cowboy hat (not ten gallon) that created a shadow that hid his face except for his blue eyes. He was also wearing a long white trench coat that nearly touched the floor. Then, the man in the hat spoke.

"Welcome one and all to the chunin exams," he said in a loud voice. "I would like to thank everyone here who came and participated in this, the second chunin exam held in the Kitsune Village. I hope to see many more to come. There are a total of six examinees left who made it past the prelims who will be competing today. Please cheer for them all for they have all earned this right." The crowd cheered as he finished and turned around to move back to his seat. When he was seated, the ref came out onto the field to announce the first fight.

"Will Bouzen and Asahi Uzumaki please come out for the first match," called the ref.

_Did he say Uzumaki_, they all thought. The first one to come out was Bouzen who stood about six foot three. His body was scared and he wore only a loss pair of pants that was cut off at the knee caps and the hitai-ate of the Panda. His head was shaved and his eyes were tiny. Then, to the Leaf group's surprise, came out a nine year old Hyuga girl. She had on a blue shirt and matching pants. Around her waist was a pink sash and a matching bow in her hair. As she walked out she made the V sign with her hands.

"Oh my Kami," cried Kiba. "That's Naruto's and Hinata's love child." This was answered with Hinata putting her former teammate in a headlock and beginning to squeeze.

"Baka," said Sakura and Neji as they just watched. Kakashi just watched as the ref explained the rules to the fighters.

**---**

Down on the field, Bouzen and Asahi got into there stances when they were told to begin. Asahi was not worried in the slightest. She had been trained by her older brother since she was four. She had graduated from the academy last year and this year her sensei said her team was ready. She knew her opponent had taken this exam three times already and failed miserably each time.

"You no beat me with Jūken," said Bouzen. "I bigger than you. I crush you." With that, he raised a fist into the air and brought it down towards Asahi's head. The Hyuga girl just sighed as she jumped backwards, dodging that whole attack.

"Please, Haku-kun can speak better English than you can," she said with a smirk. "And he's only three." Bouken gritted his teeth as he charged at her and continued to fight her by repeating his last actions. Asahi just kept jumping backwards and dodging each attack. After doing this several times, Bouken stopped and began to pant. "You give?" taunted Asahi.

"NO!" screamed Bouken as he charged at her again. Only this time he was aiming to give her an uppercut. Right before he was about to hit her Asahi cried out, "**Hakkeshō Kaiten!**" She then began to spin and a blue sphere of chakra surrounded her. Bouken was hit by the defense Asahi created and was sent flying. When Asahi stopped spinning she rushed over to where he was slowly getting up. He was on one knee when he saw her next attack and froze when she cried out, "**Rasengan!**" Bouken was sent spiraling threw the air until he hit the wall. The force of the impact left an indentation of the fool that could be better seen when he fell off.

Asahi had her hands on her knees as she panted. While her chakra level and control was beyond that of her age group, the Kaiten had taken a lot out of her. She was about to move when a man who looked like a scarecrow appeared in front of her. He eyed her for a moment then roughly grabbed her arm and held on tight.

"Hey!" she cried out as she struggled to get free. "Let go of me!"

"Who taught you that jutsu?" he demanded while ignoring her question. Before she could say something rude to him several more people and a large white dog appeared.

"Kakashi-sensei, what are you doing?" demanded the pink haired one.

"This Hyuga knows the one of the Fourth's jutsus," said the one called Kakashi. "We need to find out how she got here and how she learned that jutsu. It is a matter of village security."

"That's not our mission," said a large male Hyuga. Asahi looked at him and begged him with her eyes to help her out. "Our mission is to bring back Naruto to the village." Asahi blinked, wondering if they meant her elder brother.

"Whose village is that?" asked a voice from the left of them. Asahi, and everyone else, looked over in that direction and saw Oninenshou. "You know, it's impolite to grab a child like that." He then looked down at his doll. "Isn't that right Rei-chan."

"I agree with mummy man over there," said Yuri from the right. Everyone now turned to face her. "Why are you grabbing Asahi-chan like that?"

"I don't know why," said Asahi as she continued to struggle. "It has something to do with the jutsu that niisan taught me."

"Wait," said the pink haired girl. "Your niisan taught you that jutsu? Is his name…?" Before she could finish her sentence a figure ran past them from behind. The figure grabbed Asahi so fast that he was only a blur. They turned in the direction the blur headed and saw the blond from earlier kneeling down in front of Asahi. On his back was the symbol of the village.

"You are lucky Asahi-neechan is fine," said the blond as he stood up and turned around. "It's been a while _sensei_."

The Elemental team was shocked. There he was, Naruto Uzumaki, their friend and missing comrade for the last eight years. He now stood as tall as Kakashi and if it wasn't for those whiskers he could easily pass for the Yondaime. However, the younger members of the group couldn't help but shiver when he addressed Kakashi. It was in a tone that sounded like he was barely able to restrain his rage or hate.

"Oh, so he was your sensei," said Oninenshou with interest. "I have always wondered who trained the boy who defeated me. Funny. I always pictured him to be…more."

"Well keep wondering because the man who trained me isn't here," said Naruto while keeping his eyes on Kakashi. "Sensei is hardly the word I would to describe this man. The only thing _he_ ever taught me was the tree walking exercise. Anything that could have been helpful went to another member of my team and I was left in the dust. When I needed help he would either ignore me or trade me off to a different jonin. Then, when I needed him the most, he abandoned me."

"Is that so," said Yuri as she crossed her arms. "What a pitiful excuse of a man."

"What are you all doing here?" asked Naruto.

"We came to bring you home," said Sakura with some tears in her eyes. It hurt her to see the cheerful blond she once knew acting so cold to them. Naruto calmly looked at her.

"Who are you?" he asked. Sakura was shocked. Did he forget about her or had she changed that much?

"She's your old teammate," said Kakashi. "Jonin Sakura Haruno." For a moment, Naruto's eyes widened. Then, they returned to normal.

"That's your worst lie ever," said Naruto. "Sakura was nothing more that a fangirl who spent all her time chasing after that teme. To make jonin she would have needed to be trained and I doubt you would have made the time. If you had said chunin, I might have believed you."

"He's telling the truth," said Shikamaru as he took a step forward. Naruto eyed him.

"Let me guess, you all claim to be the rest of my friends," said Naruto. "Sorry, but I don't believe you. Now leave now and I will let you go in peace. If you do not, you will be taken in by force."

"Well this is getting interesting," said Shinja as she appeared from behind the group, boxing them in. "Makes me wish I had come down earlier. Now which one do I want?"

"Sorry, but if the chose to fight it will be with me alone," said Naruto.

"Are you that arrogant Naruto?" asked Kakashi. "There is no way you can defeat all of us."

"Wait a minute Kakashi," said Shikamaru as he saw things were getting out of hand. "We don't have to fight him. Even if we did fight him and win, there is no way we can make it out of this village."

"Like a village of wanna-be shinobi could defeat us," said Kakashi. At this, people in the stands began to yell at them. "If they are following Naruto then they can't be any better than genin with a few exceptions. The main trick will be knocking Naruto out before he can use Kyuubi's chakra."

"Sorry," said Naruto with a smirk, "but Kyuubi isn't around anymore. It's just me." With that, Naruto stopped suppressing his chakra and let it out for all to see. It danced around his body like flames on a match. Then it shot up into the air and took on the shape of a leering fox. It then returned to its owner. "This is what you get when you train to the brink of collapse every day. Now, will you leave or do I have to take you down?"

"Bring it on," said Kakashi as he got into a fighting stance. There was no way he would let this kid, who was the dead last, talk to him like that. Naruto tried to make the first move but found he couldn't. Looking at the ground with his eyes he saw that his shadow was connected to the Nara of the group.

"Now let's calm down," said Shikamaru. "It would be too troublesome to fight. Let's just talk for a moment and calm down."

"An interesting trick Nara," said Naruto. "The only thing I can move is my mouth. But," Naruto smirked, "I can still fight." Naruto then opened him mouth all the way as chakra began to spiral in front of it. Soon, a Rasengan formed between his upper and lower jaw. Then, to everyone's surprise, he swallowed it. Everyone's eyes were opened wide in shock and even more when Naruto's body expanded. He opened his mouth and a blast of chakra shot out of it at high speeds. It hit Shikamaru and blasted him onto the wall. A moment later he down to the ground as his blood began to pool. Naruto was fortunate that the Nara had been force to release his jutsu seconds after the attack hit and he was barely affected. "I call that Raseniki."

"Bastard," yelled Kiba as he tossed a soldier pill at Akamaru to eat. They then charged at him, fueled by their rage. "**Gatsūga!**" he yelled as the two became twisters. Naruto yelled, "**Raiton: Raikouago no Jutsu!**" and a pair of electric jaws came out towards the two small twisters. They couldn't avoid it in midair and the jaws bit into them, canceling out their jutsu as they were electrocuted and fell to the earth belly down. Kiba's stomach landed on Naruto's fist as it was raised upward and he had moved into place.

Then Neji and Hinata ran into the battle. Naruto let Kiba fall as he grabbed his hat to catch Neji's first palm trust and send it to the left. This exposed his ears which meant that, like clock work, Yuri couldn't help but move over to him and start rubbing them.

"Do you mind?" demanded Naruto. Hinata looked at them and her face began to turn red. _Naruto-kun has little ears on his head. They look like doggie ears. Kami. I can't…take…it._ And with that, she fainted. Naruto and Yuri sweat dropped and then shrugged it off as he put back on his hat.

"Sorry I have to do this Naruto," said Neji as he got into his stance. "**Hakke Rokujūyon Shō!**" Naruto responded by saying, "**Bikoutai: Kaiyou!**" Neji began to attack each of his chakra points but his attacks seemed to go right through him as if he were made by water. When he was done, Naruto jumped back and yelled, "**Bikoutai: Kai! Otekidan!" **A tail then came out of his trench coat and before Neji could react, began to fire on him. Neji was bombarded with a dozen or so needles before he fell.

"Just you and me," said Naruto to Kakashi. "Time to end this student-teacher relationship."

"Fine," said Kakashi as he took of his hitai-ate. He then began to gather his chakra into his fist and yelled, "**Raikiri!**" He looked at Naruto with a fierce look. "Time to finish what Sasuke started." He then charged at Naruto as the blond said, "**Bikoutai: Raimei!**" Right before Kakashi was about to strike, Naruto vanished in a bolt of lightning and reappeared behind him and gave him a chop on the back of his neck.

"So was that why you never trained me?" asked Naruto as Kakashi tried to get up. "Did you hate me that much?"

"You never should have been a shinobi," said Kakashi as he stood up. "You had no skill, no talent, and were too emotional. You should have left the program after the chunin exam. That is why I never trained you. Now you have become a threat to the village."

"I have no interest in that village," said Naruto. "I have no reason to help or destroy that place. It's as simple as that. As for my talents, well, other people were able to over look the fact that I didn't have a fancy bloodline that made training easier. You were just lazy and didn't want to train more people than you had to." Kakashi answered this by yelling, "**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!**" Naruto vanished before it hit him and appeared at Kakashi's side and delivered a roundhouse kick to his gut. Kakashi was thrown back several feet and when he tried to get up he heard Naruto yell, "**Bikoutai: Kai! ****Juutsume!**" The silver haired nin was then hit by a large claw made of chakra and scream in pain as it slashed at him. This time he didn't get up. "Looks like I'm done."

"Wait a minute," yelled Sakura. "Naruto, please stop this." Naruto scratched his chin.

"Oh right, you," he said. "Just give up. You're annoying." Sakura was stung by those words. Then she remembered that she used to say the same thing to him when they were younger. It was then she decided to jog his memory.

"Naruto-BAKA!" she screamed as she raced towards him. Naruto stared at her wide eyed as memories of his youth flashed before his eyes. Distracted by them, Sakura was able to punch him in the face and flew into the wall. "WE COME ALL THIS WAY TO FIND YOU AND THIS IS WHAT WE GET?! I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW A LOT HAS CHANGED BAKA!" While she said this, she walked over to Naruto and began to anime stomp him. "I HAVE TRAINED LONG AND HARD BECAUSE I FELT RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR DEATH. AND HERE YOU ARE, WHILE WE ARE ALL CRYING OUR EYES OUT, BUILDING YOUR OWN VILLAGE? BAKA!" That's when she stopped and Naruto slowly got up with about a dozen bruises on his face. He then eyed her with dish plate eyes.

"S-Sakura-chan?" he asked. She nodded fiercely. "Wow, you have gotten more violent haven't you? And you're still flat chested." The crowd was silent as Haruno's face turned red with anger. However, before she could do anything, Naruto appeared in front of her with no bruises, and punched her hard in the gut. The last thing she heard was, "Sorry Sakura-chan."

Translation

Raseniki: Spiraling breath


	16. Chapter 16

Looks like we finally found out more about Pein's ability. So, he can see through his summons eyes. I wonder if it would also be the same with bunshin. But, will genjutsu really work on him? From were I am now, I don't think so. Sorry, but I think he's got a few more tricks up his sleeve. But that's jus my opinion.

Let's rock!

---

Scrapping metal against the floor. That was the sound that awoke Sakura from her peaceful, yet forced, sleep. She opened her eyes and saw a plain white ceiling. She turned her head to the left and saw that she was at the end of the room. Next to her bed was a nightstand and some medical equipment. She was in a hospital! The others were in the same room as her. Shikamaru was wrapped from head to toe on the other side of the room and closest to the door. Kiba lay across to the shadow user. He to was wrapped in bandages, yet not to the same extreme. On Shikamaru's right was Neji who had his head buried under his pillow for some reason. Across from him was Hinata and she was reading a magazine. Next to Neji and across from Sakura was Kakashi. He was a different story. Unlike the rest of them, his hands and feet were bond tightly to the bed posts. His hitai-ate was missing and in its place was a metal device that didn't look like it was coming off anytime soon. His open eye was giving everyone a pitiful look.

The noise that had awoken her seemed to stop at the right side of her bed. She turned her in that direct to find an open window and a chair. On the seat was a stuffed fox that was lying on its side. Then, a small child no older that three climbed onto the chair. Once he completed his task, Sakura sat up to get a better look at the boy, wincing in pain as she did this. He looked like Naruto but with black hair, black fox ears, and a black tail with a white tip. He wore a red shirt with blue shorts. The boy moved his body to look at Sakura and when he saw her he tilted his head at her for a moment. Then he readjusted his head and gave her an all too familiar foxy smile.

_If this kid isn't Naruto's son then my hair isn't naturally pink_, thought the Haruno.

"Hi," said the small boy as he waved at her. "Who are you? Where are you from? Why did you fight with my tou-san? Why is your hair pink? Does it taste like bubblegum? What's your favorite food? Do you like ramen? What's your favorite flavor? Do you have any pets? Why is the sky blue?" Sakura could only blink as the small boy in front of her kept asking question after question. The only time he stopped was to take a deep breath. Then, when he was done, he would continue.

"Hold on," said Sakura as she interrupted the child's next question. "One at a time please. My name is Sakura Haruno. What's your name?"

"Haku Uzumaki," cheered the boy happily.

"I see," said Sakura with a smile. She was right, this was his child. "Have you been here long?"

"Hai," replied Haku with a nod. "I started talking to the tired looking guy but he said I was troublesome. Then I tried talking to the long haired guy but he hid his head under his pillow. The dog smelling person told me not to even try talking to him. I was afraid to go near the pretty lady because I thought she might be a squeezer."

"A squeezer?" asked Sakura.

"Hai," said Haku with another nod. "That's what I call people who won't stop hugging me and calling me kawaii. Aunty Yuri does that a lot."

"I see," said Sakura. She herself found it hard to hug the child herself. He was just so cute.

"Oh, and I'm not allowed to talk to oji-san over there," said Haku as he pointed to Kakashi. Kakashi's visible eye twitched at that statement. "Tou-san said that he's a bad man and I shouldn't talk to him. But he never said anything about the rest of you."

"Ah, where is your tou-san now?" asked Sakura.

"Oh, he said he had to talk to the other grown ups about important and boring things. He said he would stop by after he got done pretending to be awake so he could give you all your punishments." It kind of creeped everyone out that Haku never once lost his smile. "I wonder if he'll spank you or send you to the corner. I've seen other parents do that to their kids. But not me because I'm a good boy."

"I bet you are," said Sakura as she moved a hand over to pat him on the head.

Then, Sakura heard children yelling outside her window. She got up and out of bed, with another cringe of pain, and then walked over to the window. There was Naruto surrounded by what appeared to be academy students. At least, that's what she guessed based on their appearance from where she was. She focused some chakra into her hears so she could hear everything they said.

"Kitsune-sama, will you please help us," asked a boy. "We are having trouble with the jutsu that will be on the graduation exam."

"It's not that hard," said Naruto as he crossed his arms and smiled. "If you keep working on it, you will do fine."

"We know," cried a different boy. "But it's hard. I keep messing up."

"Could you show us?" asked a girl. There was then a chorus of pleases and Naruto gave in.

Sakura found herself grinning at her old teammate. _He really has matured. And he's not that bad looking. If I wasn't married and had a daughter I would…_ Her thoughts ended as Naruto's body vanished in a puff of smoke. _The exam jutsu is a henge?_ Not exactly.

"**Oiroke no Jutsu!**" said Naruto as his female body came into view. Sakura couldn't help but face fault. (What was she expecting?)

"I see," said a boy as he walked around Naruto who had 'her' hands on 'her' hips. "Mine is too fat."

"Mine is too old," said a girl who opened her figure would look as good as Naruto's. That was weird.

"BAKA!" came the new battle cry of Sakura as she threw a night stand at the blond through the window. It hit him and the kids all scattered. Naruto slowly pushed it off of him and began to rub his head.

"OK, who did that?" he asked before a chair landed on his back. Back up in the hospital, Sakura moved away from the window to find something else to throw at him. Everyone, including Kakashi, cringed in fear of the pink haired jonin. Haku had even gone over to Hinata's bed and was begging hugged by her. Sakura then grabbed another nightstand from next to Kakashi's bed, but when she turned around she dropped it. In the window, crouched, was…

"Naruto," said Sakura softly as he jumped onto the floor.

"Ya know," he said with a grin, "it's considered rude to throw things at people. And that was hospital property."

"What was that out there?" demanded Sakura. "Why are you teaching them that useless jutsu?"

"Oh that?" asked Naruto as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well for one thing, it is a useful distraction jutsu that works better than you think it does. Also, it's the jutsu that got Loki to fight with me." With that, Naruto began to tell the story.

**Flashback**

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**" yelled Naruto back when he was fifteen. In a large puff of smoke, there he stood.

"**Here's Loki! Now where are the girls?**"

"Wow I did it!" cheered Naruto. He had finally been able to summon the boss. And he did it all on his own. Unable to contain his happiness he began to dance around like an idiot.

"**You must be Naruto**," said Loki as he gave up looking for girls and looked at Naruto. Naruto stopped dead in his tracks and gave the large kitsune a nod. "**Ok, here's how it's going to work. If you want to summon me for battle, you must first pass my test. If you can't, then you can only summon me to retake it or to spy on pretty girls.**" Naruto sweat dropped.

"You sound like someone I know," he said. "Fine. What is the test?"

"**You must teach me a jutsu**," said Loki. "**This jutsu must be original and worthy of the kitsune clan. Meaning it must be sneaky and cunning. Do you have such a jutsu?"**

"I think so," said Naruto. "How's this; **Oiroke no Jutsu!**" Naruto transformed into his female form and a moment later the earth shook as Loki was thrown backwards as blood shot out his nose and then fainted. A moment later he got up with tears in his eyes.

"**IT'S BRILLIANT!**" he screamed. "**Teach it to me and I will fight with you.**"

**End Flashback**

"And that's how it happened," said Naruto as he finished his story. "Oh and come on out Zanku." With that the door opened and a man with short red hair and bandages hiding his mouth stepped in. he wore black pants and matching boots. He wasn't wearing a shirt, but instead he had on a black cloak that was similar to the Yondaime's. On his back was a sword that looked like it was a mix of harmonica and zanbato. Now everyone realized that Naruto always had someone close to his son. That or he didn't trust any of them and just wanted to make Kakashi a bit more miserable. "You could have stopped her from throwing that stuff at me." Zanku grinned beneath his bandages.

"I thought it was fuckin funny," he laughed. Naruto just sighed and Sakura just sat down on her bed. Everyone who could sit up did.

"Let me start by saying that you have all caused me a great deal of trouble," said Naruto as he shook his head. "Do any of you have any idea how badly you have messed things up?"

"What do you mean?" asked Neji who had a bad cause of pillow hair.

"The Emperors," said Naruto. "They were all there and saw you attacking me. Now they think that an invasion will happen soon. It took me all night to convince them not to worry. But we might still lose everything we have been working for during the last five years."

"And what is that?" asked Shikamaru. Naruto sighed.

"Shortly after the sennin started their bandit gangs, the Emperors at the time decided to make it harder for more people like them to enter or leave the Celestial Dynasties. No mail was allowed in or out. Ships rarely sailed here from foreign lands. Those that did were very expensive to the point of outrageous. They were also searched continually and if any trouble occurred they were destroyed. The Emperors wanted to keep what was happening with the sennin a secret so that others like them wouldn't show up. Can you imagine what would have happened if someone like Orochimaru or the Cloud-nin showed up. They would exploit this place for all it's worth.

"However, now we have the shinobi villages. The sennin now work for the Dynasties. We can protect the people who live here. It took five years to convince the Emperors of this and we just got the boat prices lowered. And then you guys come into the chunin exams and cause trouble. I ask you, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!"

Everyone turned to look at Kakashi, the man who started it all.

"I was wondering how you snuck a Hyuga out of the village and trained her," said Kakashi.

"I didn't sneak anyone out," said Naruto. "She was born here. You see, during the Clan Wars, people from many different clans decided to leave Elemental and start a new life. Some did it because they didn't like the fighting. Others wanted a fresh start. And then some of them hated how their clans were run and so they came here."

"Then why is she with you?" demanded Kakashi. Naruto turned his head to Zanku.

"Do you mind taking Haku to the park?" he asked.

"Damn," swore Zanku as he walked over to Hinata's bed. He then pried Haku out of the arms of the wife of the Kazekage and began to walk towards the door. "Just when things were getting fucking interesting." With that, he closed the door.

"Sorry about that," said Naruto. "I just didn't want my son to hear this part."

**Flashback**

A bolt of energy appeared next to the grave field of the Hyuga clan. Naruto's form returned to normal as he was low on chakra. He looked at the bodies, not a sound was heard. The only thing that seemed to move was the wind. Many of them had gashes from knife wounds and others looked like they were burned to a crisp. This wasn't a battle, this was a slaughter. The thought sickened Naruto. His whole life he wanted to use powerful jutsus so he could become Hokage. But these people defiled those skills and training.

Naruto was about to walk away when he heard a cry. He began to search for the source of the sound. What he found was the only survivor, a baby Hyuga girl that looked no older than a year old. Her mother had shielded her from the attacks, even after death. He picked up the child and began to rock her slowly in his arms.

"It's alright now," he said as he moved back towards the town. "Your big brothers here now so stop crying." Slowly, the baby began to quite down and began to make cooing sounds. Naruto smiled down at her. This was a new experience for him and he liked it.

**End Flashback**

"And that's what happened," said Naruto as he finished his story.

"That's awful," growled Kiba.

"My original plan was to leave here as soon as I got enough money and found a home for Asahi," said Naruto calmly. "I couldn't take her home with me due to the Hyuga clan and their desire to place that seal on other clan members heads." Neji gave him a nod. "Eventually, I just got used to the role of being a big brother and didn't want to give it up. So, I changed my plan to come back eventually. When I became the village leader I decided that once the blockade ended I would come down and visit you all. In fact, I had plans to stop by next spring." Then Naruto blushed. "A girl also helped me decide to here."

"You dog!" laughed Kiba. He then stopped suddenly and blinked. "Hey, speaking of dogs, where is Akamaru?"

"Where else," said Naruto, "the vet."

"Ano, what is going to happen to us now Naruto-kun?" asked Hinata.

"Well, normally I would have to kill you all," said Naruto. "However, I'm the boss around here and most of you I like so I'll cut you some slack. However, you will be punished."

"This is troublesome," said Shikamaru. "What is going to happen to us?"

"None of you will be allowed to leave this village. Ever," replied the Kitsune-sennin. "In addition, seals will be placed on you that will keep you from producing any more chakra above the civilian level." Naruto then turned to Kakashi. "And you will have an additional punishment. Your Sharingan eye will be removed and then destroyed."

"WHAT?!" screamed Kakashi. "Y-You can't do that!"

"Yes I can teme," said Naruto. "The operation is scheduled to take place in two days. You will be confined here until then. Any attempts to escape will cost you your life and I promise you there will be no more second chances." Naruto then began to head towards the door. "As soon as the rest of you are discharged you may start looking for a place to stay." He reached the door and opened it. He then took a step outside and began to slowly close the door "A friendly piece of advice, this isn't the Leaf village despite how it looks. We do things differently around here." With that, he shut the door.

---

Elsewhere, Ukyo stared at a hologram. Where he was, no one but he and his followers knew.

"Are you sure about this Shinja-chan?" he asked.

"Hai Ukyo-kun," she told her secret lover. "The one called Kakashi came to the Kitsune village during yesterday's chunin exam with other shinobi and caused an uproar. I would have told you sooner but Uzumaki-teme has put his village on high alert. Also, the other sennin wanted to stay and be with his wife so they can witness it."

"I understand," said Ukyo. "We can't let them catch onto the fact that you are planning on betraying them. Please keep me informed of any new developments."

"Hai Ukyo-kun," said Shinja right before the hologram vanished.

"So, what will happen next I wonder?" asked Ukyo aloud.

---

"The Kitsune-sennin will be with you shortly," said the chunin guard as he opened to the door for Sakura. "Please wait inside."

"Thank you," she said as she entered. It was earlier that day and Sakura had been allowed to leave the hospital. Once she was out she decided to head right to Naruto's office, two words that seemed life they shouldn't be together, to plead with him. She was grateful that he was letting them live, but the Leaf village still needed them. They still had to deal with Sasuke.

Naruto's office was very similar to Tsunade's. There were a few book cases on the sides of the walls and a large desk with a very official looking chair. There were a few ramen bowls on the floor next to the desk and several toys as well. The desk didn't have piles of paperwork, but picture frames. Sakura walked over to look at them. Some were of Naruto and Haku. Naruto holding Haku the day he was born, Naruto giving Haku a bath, Naruto helping Haku take his first steps. Then there were pictures of him with the guy called Zanku, a black haired girl, and a younger Asahi. In one picture they were fishing and in another they were all giving the cameraman the peace sign except for Zanku who gave him the finger. Then there were several of Naruto and the black haired girl. Them dancing, kissing, and one of them getting married. Then Sakura noticed a worn out picture of Team 7 like the one she had. The one next to it had Naruto, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune in it.

"See any you like," came Naruto's voice from behind her causing her to jump.

"Don't do that," she said as she turned around. Naruto just snorted.

"You made that to easy," he said as he sat down in his seat. "So, what do you need?"

"I'll make this quick since you probably have to do some paperwork and…"

"Hell no," said Naruto. "I have a secret that lets me have all the time in the world."

---

In a room in the basement of the building, several kage bunshins were busy with the paperwork that their creator had given them.

---

"Oh, ok then," said Sakura. "Naruto, you have to let us go back to our village before the blockade starts again. We are needed there. Now more than ever."

"I take it that it's the same reason that you came to look for me," said Naruto. Sakura nodded.

"Naruto, after you defeated Sasuke, he tried to escape again," she said slowly. "I was injured and a nurse was killed. Tsunade sent ANBU after him and he was caught quickly. He was then thrown into prison for the rest of his life. However, a guy named Danzo helped him escape and the two of them joined Orochimaru. About five years ago Sasuke killed Orochimaru and took over. During that time, Sound was at war with Akatsuki and Sasuke decided after he killed his brother he would rule to world. He then managed to get most of the member to join him except for four that are now working in the village. We heard that you were still alive from Ranshin-san and Tsunade sent us to find you. She managed to justify this by saying that would be able to help us against Sasuke." Naruto said nothing for a moment as he soaked in all that he just heard.

"The nurse who was killed," he said at last. "What was her name?" Sakura blinked. That was a funny thing to ask. She racked her brain and came up with a name.

"Her name was Airi Hyuga," she said. She then noticed the look of hurt that was in Naurto's eyes, despite how well he hid it. "You knew her, didn't you?"

"Hai," said Naruto. "She used to bring me ramen back when I lived in that village."

"I'm sorry," she said. Naruto sighed.

"Sakura, we have our own problems that we have to deal with," he said as he pulled out some files from his desk and set them on the desk. "Over here we have our own criminal organization called Chika. It consists of three main people who were wanted by everyone both before and after the creation of the shinobi villages. The first is Sakura Nara. She is wanted for the murders of two different Emperors and for killing various Tora and Panda members. Then there is the immortal Daemon Legion. His origins are unknown. We know that he has a bloodline limit that lets him turn his blood into a weapon and he has a fondness for bats. He is wanted for the murders of ten different Emperors going back 70 years and numerous other crimes. I have fought him six times over the last five years and each time I thought I killed him." Naruto stopped and sighed. "But they're nothing compared to their leader, Ukyo."

"What has he done?" asked Sakura.

"Attempts at my life and general murder," said Naruto. "Also, he operates a large chain of drug dealers and smugglers. We may have stopped the bandit gangs but others have risen to take their place. The point is that I can't just leave for an unknown period of time and fix your villages mistakes. You should have killed Sasuke when you had the chance. You blew it, not me. I did my part the first time and nearly died. That's how I ended up with these ears and tail. If Kyuubi didn't give me his life then I'd be dead."

"Naruto, a lot of villages have fallen," said Sakura as she stood up. "Please, let us go home so we can keep ours from meeting the same fate." Naruto closed his eyes and turned his chair to look out his window.

"I will…need time to think about it," he said. Sakura nodded slowly. Getting up and holding back her tears she moved to the door. When she was halfway there, Naruto's voice stopped here. "Sakura, if things had been different, do you think I would have had a chance with you?" Sakura blinked.

"I…I don't know," she said truthfully. "I mean I'm happy with Lee and wouldn't trade what we have for the world. But if things had been different, I-I don't know."

"I see," said Naruto without turning around.

With that, Sakura left.

Well, that's all for this chapter. Hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving.

Which one of my Rasengan's is your favorite?


	17. Chapter 17

Some of you have been asking where Mai is. Well, we won't be 'seeing' her until the next chapter. Don't worry she isn't dead. I just have a surprise lined up for you all. It's just part of my nature.

Check this out. I was asked to do a research paper on a certain book. I had to say why this one book was a good fantasy story regardless on how I felt about it. Who am I to judge if a story is or isn't good? Well, it had dragons and magic spells so I knew it was fantasy. But still, that's a matter of opinion. And sadly, mine didn't mean a thing.

Before I begin, I am looking for someone to lend a hand with something. I need someone to help me write a Christmas story for this site. I would do it myself, but I lack the time to fully write it and I have other stories. So, if anyone wants to lend me a hand for a Naruto Christmas Carol with plenty of Sasuke bashing (and I mean that literally) then PM me and we'll work together.

Now, let's rock!

---

"NARUTO!" screamed the voice of Mai from their home. The building was a three story building that was painted red. In front of it were hedges and in the back was Naruto's private garden. To bad Naruto couldn't enjoy it at the moment for he could be seen running out the door at high speeds.

"Forgive me Mai-hime," he cried as tears shot out his eyes. He kept running straight for several block, took a right, stopped, and then leaned against a wall.

"You should have known she'd be pissed you jackass," said Zanku as he appeared out of no where. "She was already pissed off when you said you weren't going to kill them. Now your thinking about letting them go after everything they did at the chunin exam." He shook his head. "I will never understand what goes on in that fucked up head of yours."

"Ya well," said Naruto, "there are a lot of factors to consider."

"Like hell," said Zanku as he narrowed his eyes at Naruto. "You just want to look like a hero in front of that pink haired girl. Everyone saw the sparks fly between you to and it wasn't from that tail of yours. What, are you trying to get into her pants?"

"No!" said Naruto. He then got off the wall to turn to Zanku and punched him in the face. Zanku hit the ground hard and as he got up he began to rub his face. When he looked back at Naruto he saw that he was once again leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. When Naruto spoke again it was with a cold tone that made it clear that he was serious. "Let's make one thing clear Zanku, you are my friend. Had you been anyone else I would have killed you for accusing me of betraying Mai like that and ruining my family. I am thinking of letting go of them because it would be in our best interests as well as there's."

Zanku slowly stood up as he rubbed his jaw. A part of him was cursing his friend for hitting him that hard. Yet, there was another side that was cursing himself for accusing his best friend of something like that. Still, he had to make his feeling clear as Mai's friend and Haku's godfather.

"Fine then," Zanku said slowly as he to went to lean against the wall. "Then explain to me why you think that. Enlighten me shithead."

"If I keep them here there will be a good chance that others will come," said Naruto as he calmed down. "I doubt that closed borders will mean anything to that village. They know I'm here and that council will do everything in it's power to see me dead. Even if Tsunade stops them, they would only get the public riled up. Then it will be only a matter of time before they demand war despite the situation they are in."

"They really love you, don't they dip shit," said Zanku sarcastically.

"If we let them go," continued Naruto, "the problems are basically the same. The village will know for sure where I am and what I am doing. If that information ever got to Sasuke then he would most likely come here to kill me so he can upgrade his Sharingan. However, thanks to our location, he'll have to cross an ocean to get to us and he can't take them all at the same time. Our ships will be ready and waiting for him with our long range cannons. Not to mention he'll have to face the combined forces of the four villages."

"Why didn't they just do that?" asked Zanku. "It would have been much better than allowing a single piece of shit to go as far as they have."

"Distrust," said Naruto. "Those villages have a history of fighting and killing each other. Their alliances are just marriages of connivance and end as soon as it is over. When Sasuke began, they most likely thought that it wouldn't concern them. As for the Leaf, they are idiots. He was supposed to restore the Uchiha clan in that village and I think they believe that he'll return to do that."

"Dumbasses," said Zanku. Naruto chuckled at that. "So isn't it better if they stay here then?"

"Maybe," said Naruto. "But more will come eventually. Right now, keeping them would be more trouble than they are worth."

"You knew that going into this," said Zanku.

"Hai," said Naruto. "But when I made that decision, I didn't know about their situation. I assumed that they, at the most, only had Orochimaru to deal with. I thought that Sasuke would either be a jonin or Hokage in training by now. If that was the situation then they would have sent a diplomatic envoy that would give me a headache. But with this new information I know they are low on shinobi and will need as many as they can. That was the reason they were looking for me, to return to the village and fight with them again. So they might cut their losses or try to get them back and at the same time kill me. That is what will happen if I keep them here. If I let them go at least I will have points with the leaders. They will come here no matter what I do. All I can do is give a gesture of good faith and hope they have enough common sense not to go to war with us."

"Common sense is in short supple these days," said Zanku as he got up and put his hand in his pockets. "I don't envy you one bit shit brains." With that he began to walk away.

"Hey Zanku," called Naruto causing his friend to stop. "Do you ever think about what might have been?" Zanku turned around and gave him an odd look.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" he asked.

"I mean, do you ever think about what your life would have been like if you never lost your mother and little brother to the Panda?" asked Naruto. Zanku closed his eyes and was silent for a while.

"I try not to," said Zanku as he opened his eyes. "Thinking about shit like that doesn't change a damn thing. Don't tell me you do it. I thought you had more confidence in yourself."

"So did I," admitted Naruto. "But, when I saw them again I began to wonder. What would have happened if I hadn't gone all out and knocked out Sasuke? What would I have been like if I stayed in that village? Would I be as strong as I am now?"

"Would you have ended up with Haruno-san?" finished Zanku. Naruto just lowered his head. "Look, I don't know what you would have been like if you stayed. But I do know what things would be like here if you stayed in that hellhole. I would be dead, Mai's village would be under bandit control, Asahi would have been buzzard chow, and Junpuu would have taken over." Naruto slowly raised his head.

"Thanks teme," said Naruto with his famous grin. "I wasn't thinking straight."

"If you ever do let me know," said Zanku. "I'll mark it on my calendar." They then broke out in laughter.

---

"They are so kawaii," said Asahi as she looked at the picture of Hinata's triplets. The two of them were sitting at a nice outdoor café that was run by the Hyuga sisters.

Asahi couldn't help smiling at the three children in the picture. One had red hair with lavender eyes with no pupils. His name was Yoshio. Then there was a girl that teal eyes and her mother's dark blue hair named Kazumi. Lastly was a blond with blond hair and blue eyes that resembled Gaara's mother and uncle. Gaara had insisted that he be named Naruto in honor of his first friend. Hinata agreed.

"So when do you find out how you did in the chunin exam?" asked Hinata as she took back the picture.

"Aniki says that there is a lot he needs to think about," replied Asahi. "But the final decision won't be up to him since he's my nii-san. So, is it true that you used to have a crush on Naruto-niisan?" Before Hinata could answer that Kiba and Akamaru

"Only the biggest and most obvious one ever," said Kiba with a grin. "You should have seen her back then if he got too close to her she would go tomato on us. If he touched her she would faint. And one time she…" He was cut off as Hinata got out of her chair and gave him a roundhouse kick in the gut. Kiba fell like a sack of potatoes and when he looked up at Hinata she was smiling sweetly at him.

"Let's not go there again," she said as she activated her Byakugan. "Alright Kiba-kun?"

"H-Hai," he stammered while Akamaru whimpered. It appeared that her time in the Sand village had done wonders for her.

"Wow," said Asahi. "And I thought that the people who ran the newsletter were crazy."

"Newsletter?" asked Hinata and Kiba.

"Hai," said Asahi as she got up. "Let me introduce you both to the four biggest subscribers in the village."

----

That night Kakashi was alone in his hospital room. Tomorrow he would lose his Sharingan eye forever. Kakashi no Sharingan would be dead and all that would remain would be Kakashi Hatake. Inwardly, he cursed those who had come with him on this mission. They weren't tied down to a bed and about to lose an eye. They were walking around freely. Hell, Naruto was giving them money so they could find a place to stay. When his thoughts reached Naruto, they became much, much darker. He blamed Naruto for all of this.

Then, as the clouds began to cover about half of the moon, the shadows in the room began to move. They seemed to gather in the center of the room into one black mass. Then, the mass began to rise and take shape. After a moment, it looked like the form of a woman. There were no details, but it was defiantly a woman's figure.

"Hello Kakashi no Sharingan," said the shadow woman. This got Kakashi's full attention. "My name is Sakura Nara. I work for Chika, a group that opposes the sennin. Especially Naruto Uzumaki. He has been a thorn in our side for years. We hope with your help that it will be removed soon."

"I am of little help to you," said Kakashi.

"At this moment, yes you are of no help," said Sakura. "However, our leader Ukyo-sama knows how the Kitsune-sennin thinks. While he is not found of you, his hate for Uzumaki is greater. Therefore, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. He has a plan for you that will allow you to take what you need to your village. Will you accept this?"

Kakashi paused for a moment to think. Shadow woman offering him the chance to get back at Naruto for this humiliation and fulfill his mission. Also, this information about a group that opposes Naruto would be helpful.

"I will," said Kakashi.

---

"How did it go?" asked Ukyo as Sakura walked into their hideout. His appearance, like Naruto, had remained the same except he was taller.

"I said my piece," said the Nara. She wore blue Chinese top and matching pants. She had black hair that was tied up in a ponytail. She stood about five inches shorter than Ukyo. "All he needs to do is wait for us to do our part and he will do his."

"Thou think it is foolish," said Daemon. He was sitting on a box with his arms crossed. Over his pure yellow eyes were rectangular glasses. He had long white hair went down to his hips that and was parted in the middle. He wore a red trench coat, black shirt and pants, and fingerless gloves. At the last segment of his fingers was something that looked like a suction cup that were used to drain his enemies' blood. "If thy think so little of Kakashi-san then thy should not trust him. Thou also believe that we shouldn't…"

"Shut up," said the voice of the new guy, Takeru. He had long spiky blue hair that was slicked back with a total of fifteen spikes. He was wearing green camouflage suit, black boots, and fingerless gloves. His eyes were covered by sharp edged sunglasses. He used to work for Junpuu as his second until he betrayed the leader of the Panda bandits. "I think you're just afraid of dying again. And here I thought you had guts. Maybe you left them at the last place that the Kitsune-sennin kicked your ass."

"If guts thy need to see, would thy settle on thy own?" growled Daemon. Sparks shot between the two of them as they glared at each other.

"Enough," commanded Ukyo, getting their attention. "I know him. That ass will do what he has to. And even if he doesn't, it won't matter. The plan will still commence. But if it works, we will destroy the three greatest powers on this planet and gave the power to summon. Then this world will have no law, no order, and nothing to stop us." With that he began to laugh like a maniac.

"But, I like Law and Order," joked Takeru.

---

The next day Kakashi was wheeled into the operating room. Slowly, one by one, surgical tools were placed on a tray near Kakashi. They then brought out the sleeping gas. When they went to remove his mask the jonin resisted by turning his head from side to side. After a minute of trying it this way they got someone to hold Kakashi's head. Once again they tried to put him to sleep, but this time the phone rang. One of the doctors went over to it and answered it. He came back a few minutes later and told everyone to pack up by order of the Kitsune-sennin.

"Looks like you got lucky," said the doctor to Kakashi as he began to untie him. "Kitsune-sama wants you at the northern gate in two hours ready to leave. If you are late you will be killed on sight."

_Hmm_, thought Kakashi. _So I'm being set free like the Nara said I would be. Now to fulfill my part of the plan._

Two hours later Kakashi arrived on time (gasp) at the appointed spot. On his back were two large sacks that were about half his size.

"Sensei, you're on time," exclaimed a shocked Sakura. Kakashi sweat dropped.

"Naruto didn't give me much choice in the matter," he said with a sigh.

"What's in the bags," asked Shikamaru.

"Let's take a look," said Naruto as he, Zanku, and several others appeared out of nowhere. They were all ANBU except for Haku who wanted to say goodbye. "Search them!" The Kitsune-nins walked over to them and began to look through their stuff. When they got to Kakashi they found two backs full of…snow globes.

"They're souvenirs for my friends," said Kakashi. Everyone just gave him a 'ya right' look.

"Kakashi-teme it's not that I don't trust you it's…wait it is because I don't trust you," said Naruto. "Check for a genjutsu." His shinobi nodded and began to check for one while Naruto turned to Hinata. "So I heard that you married Gaara."

"Hai," said Hinata as she looked back at him. Naruto smiled.

"I'm glad you both found someone to love," he said. "You both deserve it. Give my regards to him and tell him if the blockade isn't put back up your entire family is welcome here any time."

"Sir," said an ANBU. "He's clean. He just bought up all the snow globes from the village gift shop."

"This place has a gift shop?" questioned Neji. Naruto shrugged.

"The Leaf had one as well so," his voice just trailed off there.

"I had no idea," said Shikamaru.

"Well we better say our goodbyes," said Naruto as he looked down at Haku. Haku began to wave at them.

"Bye Bubblegum-chan," he said. "Bye Squeezer-chan. Bye Lazy-san. Bye Doggy-san. Bye Doggy. Bye Shy-san. Bye Ojisan." Everyone sweat dropped at the nick names they were given. (try and guess who is who) Before anyone could say anything a different shinobi came running to Naruto. He then whispered something in his ear.

"You sure," asked Naruto. He got a nod. Naruto then turned to Haku. "Please take my son home. I have to get the other sennin. Chika has been spotted and we have to deal with them."

"Let us go with you Kitsune-sama," said an ANBU

"Sorry," said Naruto. "But these guys are sennin class. The rest of you would only be in the way."

"I got it," said Zanku. "Besides, someone has to watch over this shit hole." Naruto nodded and turned to leave. However, Kiba's voice stopped him.

"Ah, listen Naruto," said Kiba. "Sorry about how I used to act. I was a jerk to you and…" he was then silenced when Naruto raised a hand.

"Drop it," he said. "Compared to the rest of the village, it wasn't that bad."

"One more thing," said Kiba as he lifted the famous newsletter. "How did you do it?"

"I wish I knew so I could turn it off," said Naruto. "Later. Haku, you mind Zanku while I'm gone." And with that he left.

About an hour later, Zanku was in one of the training fields with Haku. Zanku was training while Haku was singing the song he always sung before he ate ramen.

"Yummy yummy yummy I'll soon have ramen in my tummy," sang Haku as he looked at his noodles. He then tried to feed some of the noodles to his stuffed kitsune.

"Like dumb ass father like son," sighed Zanku as he looked over at Haku. Then, without warning, he felt a powerful blow to his back that threw him to the ground and made him let go of his sword. Haku let out a scream and ran to hide in a bush.

"I agree," said Kakashi as he kicked Zanku in the gut as he tried to get up.

"I thought you left asshole," said Zanku as he looked for his sword.

"I did," said Kakashi. "But thanks to a kage bunshin that is with my team and a henge that allowed me back into the village, no one will know until it is too late." Zanku gritted his teeth and then saw his sword. He got up and made a made dash for it. "Doton: Tsuiga no Jutsu!" With that, several ninja dogs shot out of the ground and bit him from all around. "I see you are useless without that weapon. " Kakashi then moved in front of Zanku and undid his hitai-ate to reveal his Sharingan eye. With that, the world went dark for Zanku.

---

"Kami," said Yuri when they reached their destination a day and a half later. They were supposed to be looking a village twenty miles away from the Pass. But, in its place was a crater about a mile and a half wide.

"You can say that again," said Oninenshou who seemed to be shaken up a bit. "What could do…this?"

"Ukyo," said Naruto. "Back when I was making the different versions of the Rasengan, I thought of a couple that I later chucked. One of them was a Rasengan that could do just this. Basically, it was just a really, really big Rasengan."

"Were there any draw backs when you thought of this jutsu," asked Shinja.

"Ya," said Naruto. "It would be very hard to control and aim due to the shire size of it. I never did try to get the kinks out of the idea because I was afraid I would do something like this." He pointed to were the village used to be.

"We better get back to the Kitsune village and figure out how we will deal with this," said Yuri. Naruto just stared at the crater. "Naruto, this isn't your fault."

"I thought up the idea," said Naruto. "And Ukyo is a part of me. Don't tell me it's not my fault, because in a way it is." With that he turned to leave and the rest soon followed.

By this time, the boat containing Kakashi and his team was already on its way back to Elemental.

---

"Welcome back," said a guard at the gate as he saw Kakashi and his team return from their trip. "Tsunade-sama would like to see you all right away."

"Very well," said Kakashi as he began to walk away but the chunin held up a hand.

"Sorry Kakashi," said the chunin. "I was told to make sure that you went to see her right away. She doesn't want any of you to be missing."

"Very well," said Kakashi as he made a kage bunshin. He then handed one of the sacks to him and the clone ran off. "Let's go."

---

"And that's what happened," finished Sakura as she finished giving her report to Tsunade.

Tsunade let out a sigh. She had hoped that Naruto would come back. She had to admit that she felt a little betrayed by that. But, she was proud of him. He had created his own vision that reminded her of how things used to be. He had a family, friends, and the respect that he always wanted.

"I see," said Tsunade. "I'm a bit disappointed in you Kakashi. I think you need a reminder in diplo…Kakashi, what's in that bag?"

"Snow globes," said Kakashi. Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"I thought I saw something move in there," she said as she stared at the bag. Them she saw the movement again. Then there was a whimpering sound. It later turned into full blown crying. "What's in the bag Kakashi?" demanded Tsunade in a very dangerous voice.

"Ah, crying snow globes," offered Kakashi. Neji took the bag from Kakashi, set it down gently, and opened it. Inside was Haku and his stuffed fox. On Haku's forehead was a suspension seal that was used to keep the enemy in a sleep like state for long periods of time while they were being transported. It appeared that they seal on Haku was nearly faded.

"W-Where is t-tou-san an-and kaa-san?" cried the small boy as he hugged his stuffed animal.

"What was in the other bag?" demanded Sakura.

"Other bag?" asked Tsunade in shock. In an instant she appeared in front of Kakashi and grabbed him by his shirt. "WHAT OTHER BAG?" she screamed at him.

"I won't tell," said Kakashi. "I had to do this for the village."

"You stupid ass," she growled. "Neji, take him to see Ibiki. I want to know what was in that other bag and were it is." Neji nodded and grabbed Kakashi as Tsunade let him go. Soon they left the room. Tsunade then went over to the crying child. Remembering the report, this had to be Haku, Naruto's son. "Hello there. My name is Tsunade and…"

"Y-You're Tsunade-hioobachan," said Haku as he look at her with tear filled eyes.

"What did you call me?" asked Tsunade sweetly as everyone else quietly left the room.

"T-Tsunade-hioobachan," repeated Haku. "Tou-san calls you baachan so you are my hioobachan." Tsunade just stared at the boy.

"You are your fathers son," said Tsunade with a sigh. "Don't worry, we'll get you back to your parents soon. But first we need to find out what was in the other bag." Haku just nodded.

Well, if you didn't hate Kakashi before you better now. What was in the other bag? Will Kakashi get it from Ibiki and Tsunade? Find out next time!

Also, looking for a new beta.


	18. Chapter 18

Sorry for the long wait. You see a cat crossed my path on the way to the computer each time. Then I had to help several old ladies cross a very dangerous street. Then a house burned down and I was the only one who could help. You're not buying this. I know, it was so lame. Truth be told classes have started up again and to make a good impression I decided that I should look like I care instead of working on my stories in class. But, now that the first week is over it is back to work.

The latest chapter in the manga finally came out. Not what I was hoping for really but oh well. Lets get some more Naruto action.

On another note, my big plan to buy Naruto was a bust. This leaves me with two options. One, I could just steal it somehow (I haven't figured that part out yet) or you could all send me some money. In case you haven't figured it out, I don't own Naruto. But if I did, it would be more like this.Wouldn't that be great!

Now that that's all said and done, let's rock!

------------------------

"Don't worry Haku-chan," said Tsunade to the small boy who was now sitting on her lap. She had just called on ANBU to take the council into custody and Shizune to send a message to the Daimyo. It was time to take them down once and for all. Despite how low this was, it was working to her advantage. Thanks to this, she could now get rid of them once and for all. She was so happy she couldn't suppress a smile from forming on her face as she rubbed the boys black hair. "We'll get you to your tou-san and kaa-san soon."

"H-Hai hiooba-chan," said Haku. Tsunade's eye twitched at that. Being called a great grandmother made her feel older that she really was. But since the kid was cute she would let it slide. For now at least. But she would have to make sure to have a chat with Naruto about this.

"Well, since you will be staying here for a while, do you have any questions?" asked Tsunade. Haku tilted his head and blinked.

"Questions?" he repeated.

"Ask me anything you like," said Tsunade with a smile. Haku smiled back.

"O.K," he said before taking a deep breath. "Why is your chest so big?Is there something wrong with it? What is that thing on your head? Is it a booboo? What's that smell? Where does the sun go at night?" And so Haku continued to ask every question that went through his head. This led Tsunade to wish she had some sake (answer to question number five). Then, several long minutes later, the door flew open and there stood Haran Uzumaki.

"Where is Kakashi?" he demanded in a powerful voice that caused Haku to stop talking and hug Tsunade. "I just heard that he did something to my son. Now where is he so I can show him a new world of pain!" Tsunade groaned.

Somehow, after the group left to find Naruto, word about the mission got out. Tsunade suspected, but had no real proof, it was the council because it caused riots demanding that Naruto not to be let back into the village. Some, like Haran, were angry that they were not chosen for the mission. Tsunade explained to him and the few others that she had her reasons. Haran couldn't go because he was Naruto's father and was one of the last people Naruto would listen to. Iruka couldn't go because he wasn't skilled enough and was needed in the classroom. It was that simple.

"Don't worry about it Haran," said Tsunade calmly. "I had him sent to have a nice long chat with Ibiki. Whatever you had planned, he'll do much worse."

"I doubt that," said Haran. He then noticed the child on Tsunade's lap."Who's the kid?"

"Oh that's right," said Tsunade. She couldn't believe that she had forgotten to tell him sooner. "Well Haran, this is Haku Uzumaki, your grandson." There was silence for a moment before there was a loud thud that signaled that Haran Uzumaki had fainted.

--------------------

Hiashi had just returned to the Hyuuga compound from a stroll when two branch members walked towards him. As soon as they were in front of him they bowed in respect and then took a knee. Hiashi let out a sigh. He knew what was going to happen. The Elders wanted to hold a special meeting. Normal events and other clan related things were done with the council that composed of twelve main house members and three branch clan members. However, when the elders felt that there was something that was too important for the council they would hold a special meeting to decide what to do. The last time something like this happened was when Hinata announced that she was pregnant.

"Haiashi-sama," said one of them. "The honorable Elders wish to see you at once in the Great Hall."

"According to them it is a matter of grave importance," said the other.Hiashi nodded.

"Very well then," said Hiashi. He then began to walk towards the Great Hall of the Hyuuga clan with the two branch members behind him. The Great Hall was more of a small room that was used for only two things. The first was meetings like this one. The other was to place the bird cage seal on the branch family members. It was called the Great Hall to make it sound greater and grander than it really was.

When Hiashi opened the doors to the Great Hall he quickly scanned the room.The six Elders sat on each side of the room, three on one side and three on another. Hiashi walked across the room to where his seat was and sat down. The two branch members took up guard outside the room and closed the door.

"I am here now," said Hiashi as he started the meeting. "Now, why have you called this meeting?" Elder Taki stood up.

"Hiashi-sama," began Taki. "A few hours ago a kage bunshin of Kakashi Hayate appeared and gave a member of the main house a large sack. Before he could question it the clone vanished. When he opened the bag he found a girl of about nine years old. The individual brought the girl to us and we removed the suspension seal that was placed on her. We were naturally going to inform the Hokage about this until the girl opened her eyes. She has the Byakugan."

"That is odd," said Hiashi. "Why would Hayate-san do something like that to one from our clan?"

"That's just it," said Taki. "We checked all the members from both the main and branch houses and none of them are missing a child. Nor is she mentioned anywhere in our records." Hiashi's eyes widened. The clan was aware of everyone who possessed the Byakugan in both this village and in the Sand. It was impossible that they missed one for nine years. This was indeed a serious matter. Elder Taki sat down and Elder Nami now stood.

"We know that Hayate-san had recently returned from an A-ranked mission,"she said. "This mission was to find clues about one Naruto Uzumaki in a place called the Celestial Dynasties. As soon as he returned, he had the girl sent to us. I believe that the girl came from there."

"Hai," said Hiashi as Nami sat down. "That does seem to be the most logical choice." He then snapped his fingers and the two branch members stepped in.

"Yes, Hiashi-sama?" they both asked in unison.

"Bring Neji Hyuuga to us," said Hiashi.

"As you wish Hiashi-sama," they said. They then gave him and the Elders a bow and left.

"I do not see why you wish to speak to Neji-san," said stood up as he stood up. "This is a matter for the main house, not the branch."

Hiashi narrowed his eyes at Akio. Of all the members of the Hyuuga clan, Akio was the most despised. Old and battle scarred, he was the picture of fear it's self. During his long life, he had been a supporter of Danzo and the Root program. He had also believed that Orochimaru should have been named Hokage. In addition to these, he had also been the one who placed the seal on the daughter of Neji and Tenten.

"We need more information," said Hiashi as he fought to keep his cool.

"This is a serious matter that must be handled delicately."

"Rubbish," said Akio. He then walked in front of Hiashi and turned to face the other Elders. "We know enough. There are other Hyuuga's out there that do not wear the seal. Already Hiashi-sama has allowed the Byakugan to fall into the hands of the Sand village. We can not just sit here and allow more villages to gain a hold of our bloodline. We place the seal on that girl and force her to tell us about the others!"

"And then what?" asked Nami as she stood back up.

"We must go there and place the seal on each and every one of them," said Akio with full conviction. The others looked at him like he was insane.

"That is foolish," said Hiashi as he voiced everyone's thoughts. Akio spun around and glared at Hiashi.

"It must be done," he said. "We must do everything in our power to keep the secrets of our bloodline a secret. Whatever the cost, it must be done!"

"Do you know how many there are?" asked Hiashi.

"No," said Akio. "But I don't see…"

"Do you know where they are?" asked Hiashi.

"How could I," said Akio as his face began to turn red with anger. Hiashi stood up and Akio backed up so that all could see him.

"We are at war right now," said Hiashi. "If that were not the case then going there would be an option. If we did go there and the Sound noticed our absence then they might attack. We can not lower the village's forces looking for other Hyuuga's in an unknown land." There was a knock on the door that silenced him. The door opened and Neji walked in. Akio glared at Hiashi once more before taking his seat.

"You summoned me Hiashi-sama?" asked Neji. Hiashi nodded and then sat back down. Neji was then seated in the middle of the room. Hiashi took a deep breath and began to tell Neji what had happened.

As Neji listened he became a mix of emotions. Rage at what Kakashi did. Shock at what Akio was suggesting. Pity for Aisha once he figured out that it was her. About halfway through it all Neji realized what they really wanted: information. For a shinobi, it was the greatest weapon. Information, depending on whether it was good or bad, determined the success of the mission.

"Neji, please inform us what you know about the Hyuuga's living in Celestial," finished Hiashi.

"Know that if you try to keep anything from us we will know," said Akio as he activated his Byakugan. Neji nodded knowing that if they caught him lying to them they would use the seal. The best he could do was to tell the truth in the right way.

"As you wish," said Neji. "While I was in Celestial I only saw one Hyuuga myself. From what I was told was that most live like nomads traveling around from place to place depending on the season. The few that don't do this live in the Kitsune Village. When our team arrived in the village they were holding a chunin exam. There was a nine year old girl taking the exam that matching the description of the girl Kakashi gave you. She is the adopted daughter of the leader of that village, the Kitsune-sennin."

At that the Elders began to talk amongst themselves. Not only had Kakashi kidnapped an enemy shinobi from a village they knew nothing about, but she was also a family member of that village's leader. It could lead to war! What was worse was that the Hokage would think that they were in on it thanks to Kakashi.

Neji hide his smile as the old fossils looked like they were going to have heart attacks. They were only concerned on how this would affect their status and nothing more. However, Akio looked more in thought than the rest of the elders. Neji could see it in his eyes that he was trying to piece something together. Then, he spoke.

"She was adopted, is that correct?" asked Akio as he rubbed the scar on his chin.

"Hai," answered Neji.

"That is interesting," said Akio. "So tell me then, what is the name of the Kitsune-sennin?" Neji cursed mentally. The other Elders looked confused.

"Really Akio-sama," said Taki. "Why is that important? The fact is that the girl…"

"I'll tell you why," interrupted Akio as he stood up. "Think about it a village of 'Kitsune-nins'. The Hokage sent a group of our shinobi to look for that demon and instead they find someone calling himself the'Kitsune-sennin'. This is just too much of a coincidence." He then paused as the information sank in. He then turned to face Neji with a look in his eyes that spoke volumes. They were saying that if he didn't answer truthfully then he would activate his daughters seal. "Is the Kitsune-sennin Naruto Uzumaki?"

"Hai," said Neji as he lowered his head. Akio smirked.

"Now we have one more reason to place the seal on that girl," said Akio.

"Explain," demanded Nami.

"That demon must have some kind of interest in that girl," said Akio.

"We could use her like a bargaining chip. Unless he does what we say we will activate the seal. With this, we will make him our slave as well. For example,we could get him to hut down the other Hyuuga's so we could place the seal on them." He then let out a big smile. "Just imagine it. We could control a whole hidden village. The possibilities are endless."

There was silence for a moment.

"That could work," said another Elder. "If any humanity has infected the beast then he will not want to see the girl harmed."

"But what if it doesn't care," said another. "What if she was just something he was using to pass the time?"

"Then we can simple leak information about him to Uchiha-san," said Akio."He wants Uzumaki dead so let's give him what he wants. Besides, if that is the case then we will finally be able to present evidence to the Hokage that it isn't a person at all."

Neji saw the looks of agreement in most of the other Elders eyes. Only Taki and Nami seemed to be against this. He knew he had to convince them somehow that his was a bad idea. He racked his brain for more information from the mission. Then, an idea came to mind.

"I do not think that would be a good idea," said Neji. The room became icy cold as Akio glared at him.

"You dare speak to us like that?!" roared Akio as he activated the seal on Neji's head. Neji fell down to the ground and clutched his head in pain.Sweat and tears began to fall to the floor after a moment.

"Enough!" yelled Hiashi. Akio disengaged the seal and slowly Neji crawled back into his sitting position. Akio glared at him once more before turning to face Hiashi once more.

"I was just reminding this branch member his place," said Akio with no remorse. "Despite how much talent he may have, he is and always will be a member of the branch family. Perhaps he thinks his opinions matter because you taught him a couple of techniques that are reserved for the main house only."

"I asked for Neji to inform us," said Hiashi as took a deep breath to calm down. "Until he was told us everything we can not make a decision. Now sit down and listen." Akio paused for a moment before he nodded and sat down. Hiashi then turned his attention back to Neji. "When you are ready."

"Hai, Hiashi-sama," said Neji slowly. "Kakashi brought back two sacks from Celestial. The other held the son of Naruto Uzumaki."

"That's good," said Akio. "Now we can use the both of them."

"I'm afraid that Tsunade-sama wouldn't agree with you," said Neji."We were giving our mission briefing when the seal on the child wore off.When Tsunade-sama saw the child she nearly killed him trying to find the location of the second sack which was sent here. He refused so she sent him to Ibiki." Neji held back a smile when he saw the affect Ibiki's name had on the room. There were several gasps and Akio paled. Even Hiashi began to tremble. After all, Ibiki wasn't someone to take lightly. Hiashi was the first to regain his composure.

"Neji, do you know why Hayate-san did this?" asked Hiashi.

"I can only assume that he was under order from the council," replied Neji. "The Daimyo will most likely be called in to help deal with them. As for the girl, Kakashi most likely thought that by brining her to us would help gain our support."

"What will we do?" asked Taki. "If Tsunade-sama hears that we have the girl, we might suffer them same fate as Hayate-san."

"Our clan will be disgraced," said another Elder.

"As for Uzumaki-san," continued Neji. "I know first hand how far he would go to protect what is precious to him. He nearly lost his life trying to bring back the Uchiha. He will come for the girl and he will not be alone. He is allied with three other villages, each one with its own sennin. From what I saw, most of them seem friendly towards Uzumaki-san. The people of his own village follow him with complete devotion. Kakashi has made us enemies with all of them."

"Then everything will come down to the decision made by the Hokage and Daimyo," said Hiashi. "Most likely the council will try to convince them that what Kakashi did would benefit the village. However, that is highly unlikely. In the event that they succeed, we will hold another meeting to decide what to do with the girl."

"I believe that we should welcome her into the main house if that's the case," said Nami. "Our clan needs new blood if it is to survive. Adding her to our house would be the best course of action. After a skill evaluation of course."

"That will be taken into consideration," said Hiashi. "But, if the Hokage decides that sending the children back to their home in the interests of peace, them we most return the girl. We will then try to explain to her that we had no knowledge of the council's intentions and we were keeping her safe here. Since that is what we will be doing, it won't be a lie. That means no seals and to treat her kindly."

"But Hiashi-sama," began Akio. Hiashi, however, silenced the man by raising his hand.

"We are in a delicate situation," he said as he stood up. "We must play our cards right or else. Meeting adjourned." One by one, the Elders slowly got up and walked out the door. Akio, however, glared at Hiashi one last time before he too left. After about a minute, only Neji and Hiashi were left in the room.

"Hiashi-sama," said Neji, "are you sure about this. The Hokage will understand if we tell her now."

"I know," said Hiashi as he walked towards Neji. "However, Akio would have been a problem. Ever since Hinata joined the Sand my position as clan head has been weakened. They believe that I have gotten soft and am unfit to lead the clan anymore since I will not bring her back by force. There is a group of people who wish to have me replaced until Hanabi is ready to lead the clan. The leader of all of this is Akio. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have had to make that compromise."

"Figures," said Neji as he began to walk next to Hiashi. Soon they were out of the Great Hall and were making their way to the gardens. "How did he ever become an Elder?"

"He waited," said Hiashi with a smirk. "Now, you say you saw this girl during a chunin exam. Is she skilled?"

"Better than I was at that age," admitted Neji. "She preformed the Kaiten and a move I saw Naruto use during the mission to rescue the Uchiha. I believe it was called the Rasengan." Hiashi blinked at that.

"She is skilled," said Hiashi. "The Rasengan was one of the original jutsus created by the Yondaime. Uzumaki-san must have learned it from Jiraiya-sama. It is amazing that her skills are so high."

Hiashi then stopped and grabbed Neji's shoulder. He then looked at his nephew with the utmost seriousness. "Do not tell anyone about the Rasengan. If Akio gets wind of it, he will be able to convince the Elders to place the seal on her.Then, after he has me removed as clan head, he will do everything in his power to support the council." Neji nodded.

"I understand," he said.

-----------------------

One by one the others made their way back to their loved ones. Sakura returned to a crying Lee. Apparently he thought he had done a very unyouthful thing by not going on this mission. It took a while for Sakura to convince her insane husband that he was away on a mission at the time so it wasn't his fault.

Shikamaru, after telling his wife about the mission, was accused of being too lazy again. To this, Shikamaru only muttered something about a troublesome wife.

Kiba was walking along side his friend and old teammate as he told him about the mission. Shino would only respond with a nod every so often as they made their way to the Aburame complex. The Aburame clan lived together in a building that was more like an apartment building like bees in a hive. When they reached Shino's room they meet up with someone that Shino really didn't want to see.

"Ah, hi Kiba-kun," said Yugito. She was looking very nervous in her Jounin uniform.

"Ah hey," replied Kiba. "So, ah, what brings you back to the Leaf village?"

"Kiba, perhaps you should…" began Shino.

"I came to say sorry," said Yugito as she interrupted Shino and walked towards Kiba. "I asked you for you honest opinion about that outfit and I over reacted when I heard your answer."

"Can I get to my door?" asked Shino. However, he was ignored."I said some things I regret as well," said Kiba with a blush. "I really do like your legs."

"Oh no," said Shino as he began to shake his head. "You two are not…"

"Just my legs?" asked Yugito with a blush. "What about the rest of me?" A feral grin appeared on Kiba's face as he turned to Shino and started to dig in his pockets. After a couple of minutes of searching from pocket to pocket while dealing with a struggling Shino, Kiba found the keys to Shino's apartment. He opened the door, then picked up Yugito bridal style,went into the room, and then shut the door in Shino's face. A moment later the door opened again and a do not disturb sign was put up.

"But that's my place," said Shino as he stared at the door. If this was going to be anything like the last several times they had make-up sex, he was going to need new wallpaper.

---------------------------------

Three days later, Koharu and Homaru sat before Tsunade, the Fire Daimyo, Gaara, and Koyuki. Tsunade had sent a letter to Jiraiya to inform him anout Naruto and what was going on, but it looked like he either hadn't gotten it yet or was still on his way. When Gaara heard what Kakashi did he nearly went to Ibiki's interrogation room to help. So far the bastard had kept his mouth shut. Ibiki had used a number of methods from reading yaoi to him to red hot pokers.

"I gave you two enough rope to hang yourselves with," said the Daimyo as he shook his head. "Now I see that it was a mistake."

"Allow us to explain," said Homaru. "It is true that we told Kakashi to bring us back some leverage that we could use. But this child is better than anything we could have hoped for."

"With that boy we can command the Uzumaki to do whatever we say," said Koharu. "He will help our village with the Sound and we will not waste any of our forces."

"There is a moral issue that you two have over looked," said Tsunade.

"THIS IS WAR!" screamed Homaru. "There are no rights and wrongs. All that matters is that we win. If it means putting a dagger against the throat of a child so be it."

Meanwhile…

"So this is your hometown," said Zanku. He was standing at the top of a hill that was close to the village. Ironically, it was the same hill that Itachi and Kisame had stood on before they began their hunt for Naruto after the chunin exams. With him stood Naruto, Mai, and several others.

"It was once," said Naruto. While his face appeared to be calm, his eyes were a sea of rage and anger. He couldn't believe that they would stoop that low. "When I created our home, I used this place as it once was as a model.A place where people worked together and supported one and other. However, the people who live here now are spoiled and arrogant." He slowly closed his eyes. "After we retrieve my son and sister, I will never have anything else to do with this place again."

"I agree," said Yoen. "What they did was most unyouthful!" Naruto sweat dropped as he turned to face the Kaguya. Like when they first meet, he was still wearing the green spandex from hell with orange leg and arm warmers.The only real additions were the Kitsune hitai-ate and the red Jounin vest.

"Shut up about that youthful shit," growled Zanku. "This is serious.It's bad enough I had to listen to you the whole boat ride here."

"Enough!" snarled Mai. Everyone took a step away from her. From the time they had left she had been a ticking time bomb. Naruto had insisted that she stay in Celestial due to her condition, but that was one fight he couldn'twin. "Lets get this over with NOW!" she said while screaming the last part. Everyone gulped and nodded.

-------------------------

"Winning does matter," said the Daimyo. "But there is something that is more important in war and that is how it is fought."

"What you say is true," said Gaara to Homaru and Koharu. "If we used the child as an ace, Uzumaki-san would do as we say. And let's say we did use him and defeated the Sound. What then? How long do we hold onto his child before we return him to his family? Sooner or later, Uzumaki-san will have to make a choice: his son or the people of his village. If he chooses his son he will be forced to step down as village leader and this village will be at the mercy of the next leader. If he chooses his people he will attack us."

"And let's say that doesn't happen," said the Daimyo. "What will your clients think? You might not have a problem with holding a child's life as ransom to get another village to fight your battles but other people will.You will look weak and the village will lose money. The weaker this village gets the weaker the country gets. Eventually we will fall into ruin or we will be attacked."

"We could have used Naru…I mean Uzumaki-san's help," said Tsunade."We could have sent diplomats to talk to him and the ruling body of Celestial. We could have been able to get their help through peaceful means.If not that, we could have gotten supplies or even sanctuary in case the worse came to be."

"Do you really think the villagers would accept that?" asked Koharu."They would rather die than live under the beast."

"What you are thinking about deals too far into the future," said Homaru."Yes, those things might happen. But, it won't matter if we are all dead." Homaru then pointed at Tsunade. "As Hokage, you are charged with the duty of protecting this village, no matter the cost."

"That's why I tried to get those alliances," said Tsunade. "It was the actions of the two of you that ruined all of them. It was because you felt that your great Uchiha would return to and that you didn't want to be in debt with villages that had once been our enemies."

"There are other…" began Koharu, but was interrupted when the Daimyo slammed his palm on the table.

"I have heard enough," said the Daimyo. "The council was created to keep the Hokage's power in check. However, it is now clear that while they were doing that, no one was watching them. I hereby dissolve the council."

Homaru and Koharu began to protest but the Daimyo raised his voice so he could talk over them. "Furthermore, I am activating emergency wartime protocol.This will give Tsunade-sama complete control over the village until the war is over.""This can't be happ…" began Homaru, but was interrupted by a loud deafening crash. Before anyone could say anything a chunin ran into the room.

"Tsunade-sama!" he cried. "The northwest gate has literally fallen and several people have entered the village!""What did you say?!" cried Tsunade as she stood up.

Five minutes earlier…

Haran was in the park while he watched Haku play. Normally Tsunade kept the boy with her at all times. However, with the meeting today, Haran was given the chance to spend time with his grandchild. An odd feeling swept over Haran.He had missed his chance to spend time with his own son and he felt like this was a second chance.

Haran smiled as he remembered all of the plans he made before Naruto was born. Taking Naruto to the park to play, being there for his first day at the academy, teach him an advanced bunshin jutsu so he could amaze his sensei on the graduation exam, tease him when he brought a girl home, and so much more. He was so wrapped up in his memories that he didn't notice someone had snuck up behind him.

"Hello Uzumaki-san," said the voice of Hiashi. Haran turned around and saw the head of the Hyuga clan with his three grandchildren. This was short lived as they soon bolted in the direction of Haku.

"It's been a while Hiashi-teme," said Haran with a smirk. Hiashi eye twitched at that.

"That's real mature," said Hiashi. "I swear, you have barely grown up at all."

"It depends on the subject," said Haran. "The last time you and I were face to face like this was when…""Kushina-chan chose you over me," finished Hiashi. "I know. I was there."

"Well you were caught stalking her," said Haran as he turned to watch the children. "I guess we all make mistakes."

"That we do," said Hiashi. "But what matters in the end is what we do to fix them."

Over with the kids, Haku was playing tag with the triplets. He was not it so he was running from Yoshino who was it. So far, Yoshino couldn't catch Haku until the young Uzumaki ran right into another child by accident and they both fell to the ground.

"Itie," they both said at the same time.

"Watch where you're going!" cried Akane as she pointed an accusing finger at Haku.

"Sorry Forehead-chan," said Haku innocently as he stood up.

"W-What did you call me?" asked Akane. Haku smiled at her.

"I called you Forehead-chan," he repeated. "It is very big." He stopped smiling when he saw the pink haired girl start to tear up. Then…

"WHA!" she cried. She then, with tears running down her checks, went over to Haku and began to hit him over and over again. It looked more like play hitting then anything else which made the whole thing seem more humorous than it really was.

"Interesting," said Hiashi.

"It's like a train wreck," said Haran. "I know I should do something but I am compelled to just stand and stare." Just then, Sakura came onto the scene and pulled Akane away from Haku.

"What is going on here?" she demanded.

"Kaa-san," said Akane with a sniff. She then pointed at Haku. "He knocked me down and then made fun of my (sniff) head." Haku eeped as Sakura turned her attention on him.

"Wait," he yelled. "I was playing when I ran into her Bubblegum-chan. I didn't know her name so I called her Forehead-chan."

"I see," said Sakura as her expression relaxed. "But in the future…" She was then cut off as the ground shook and by a loud crashing sound. "What was that?"

Hana, after hearing the noise, went leaping from roof to roof with her three dogs towards the source. Looking ahead of her she could see several other members of her clan with their canine partners.

Then, it happened. A large bird, big enough to carry an adult, swooped down at her clansmen. A figure jumped off the bird and cut them down with little effort. By the time she got there, the fight was over and the man who had done this was smiling at her.He looked about 26 years old, if Hana had to guess. He had short brown hair and narrow eyes (think Gin from Bleach). In his hair were three feathers. He wore tan colored Taoist robes and on his chest was the silver boar. On his hands were thick gloves.

"Hello," said Choukan as Tsuishi landed on his shoulder. "Would you please just go home so I can do my job?"

"Like hell I will after what you did to my family," growled Hana. Choukan sighed. "I guess it can't be helped."

Kisame, Itachi, and Diedara were running on the streets towards the northwest gate when three people appeared and blocked their path.

"These people seem stronger than the last group we ran into," said Yuri."And two of them are so kawaii."

"Maybe they will have the good sense to run in hide," said Oninenshou."Rei-chan just wants to see Haku-chan and Aisha-chan again."

"Let's just find those gakis and get out of here," whined Shinja as she crossed her arms. "And Yuri, you have the worst tastes."

Lee stared at his opponent with fire in his eyes."Yosh," cried Lee. "I will defeat you in five minutes or else I will walk on my hands around the village six times.""Yosh," cried Yoen. "I will defeat you in four minutes or else I will swim all the way back to the Celestial Dynasties."

This was going to be interesting.

Gai, Kurenai, and Asuma were between the training grounds and the Hyuuga compound when the heard the noise. They began to race in the direction it came from when a figure stood in there path. They stopped when they realized who it was.

"Naruto?" said Asuma in shock. "You really are alive."

"Get out of my way," said Naruto coldly.

"Naruto-kun, there is no need to be unyouthful," said Gai. He walked over to Naruto and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Now, what is ruining your time in the springtime of youth?" Naruto said nothing as his tail shot out of his trench coat. It wrapped its self around Gai's waist and seemed to extend its self as it lifted Gai several meters in the air.

"If you will not move I will make you," said Naruto as his tail flung Gai and sent him flying through the sky. As his tail retracted, Kurenai and Asuma get into fighting stances. "So be it."

---------------------------

"Please come this way," said Tsunade as she led the Daimyo and Koyuki to her office. She opened the door and motioned them to enter. "I will go and see what this is about. Please wait in here until this is all sorted out."

Before either of them could enter the room there was a crashing sound from inside. Tsunade quickly moved to the doors entrance and looked inside.Standing in front of a broken window was a man with short red hair. He wore black pants and matching boots. He wasn't wearing a shirt, but instead he had on a black cloak that was similar to the Yondaime's. On his back was a sword that looked like it was a mix of a harmonica and zanbato.

Standing behind him was a woman with black hair that went down to her shoulders and black eyes. Seeing Tsunade, she stepped around the red head and Tsunade's eyes widened when she saw that the woman was pregnant.

"Where is my son?" demanded the woman as she activated her Sharingan.

---------------------------

Well, there you have it. Next time will be action packed as Naruto and his gang fights the Leaf villages best. Who will win? What will happen to Kakashi?All this and more in the next chapter.


	19. Chapter 19

Once again, sorry for the late update. This time was due to a combination of illness and school. Damn it all! Then, I had another problem with this story. How should this chapter go? I had intended to have this huge fight, but then something came to me. Shouldn't getting Haku and Asahi take top priority over killing Kakashi and kicking ass? Also, I want to get this chapter rolling so the REAL fun can begin. So I asked several people what they thought and I came up with this chapter.

But what makes me a little sad was that not one has commented on the Kiba/Yugato relationship. I put a lot of work into that to provide the humor that the last chapter needed. I got the same feeling when no one commented on the time when Kiba thought that Asahi was the love child of Naruto and Hinata. I thought that was funny.

To Jade, thank you for asking about Asahi. You were right in some areas.

Is there anything else I need to mention?

Oh well, let's rock!

---

Kabuto walked slowly down the corridors in Sasuke's mansion. Ever since the death of Orochimaru, Kabuto had been left out of almost everything. Sasuke had no use for him since he had his Hebi team and the Akatsuki, or at least those who had chosen to follow him. While Kabuto still did missions from time to time, Sasuke had him tending other duties that required him to remain in the Sound. One of those duties was watching over his son, Ochi.

Kabuto stopped walking when he saw Karin, Sasuke's wife. Sasuke and Karin had a simple relationship. Sasuke only married her because he wanted an heir. He had most of her genes checked and hers were more receive and would allow his son to have the Sharingan. Karin's affection toward Sasuke had diminished slightly, but stayed with him for the sake of their son as well as her own life.

"Kabuto-kun," she said with a bow. "Would you mind getting Ochi out of his room? You're the only one he really listens to when Sasuke isn't around."

"It would be my pleasure," said Kabuto with a grin. He gave Karin a bow and headed for Ochi's room. He entered the room and looked around. Toy's were almost everywhere along with almost everything a four year old boy would want. After a moment he spotted Ochi sitting on a beanie bag with a smirk on his face. The boy looked like a mini-me of Sasuke except he had paler skin. "Your kaa-san is worried about you."

"Oh really," said Ochi in an amused voice. "She does that a lot. Tell me how Sasuke-kun is doing." Kabuto smirked.

"I just got the report back," said Kabuto as he adjusted his glasses. "He took over the Rock village this morning. He killed their leader himself and held out his head for the entire village to see and they surrendered."

"Interesting," said Ochi as he closed his eyes. "Is there anything else?"

"Only one," said Kabuto with a very large grin on his face. "It seems that Naruto-kun is alive. My sources say that he should be attacking the Leaf village very soon, if not right now, for kidnapping his son." Ochi opened his eyes and when he did they were not black but yellow and slit.

"That is interesting," said Ochi. "Naruto-kun will sure make things more interesting around here. Don't you agree?"

"Hai, Orochimaru-sama," said Kabuto.

---

The crash had not gone unnoticed by the villages. Many after hearing it feared that they were being invaded again and fled to the shelters. However, the Hyuuga clan stayed were they were. They were confident that they could handle anyone who dared to attack them. But one of them took this noise to mean something else.

Akio growled with fury. Hiashi was a fool for not placing the seal on that girls head right away. And now his actions, or lack thereof, had led to this. Then a smile appeared on the evil elders face. He could use this to have his way right now. And once it succeeds Hiashi will be removed as Head and he would be replaced with Akio until Hinabi became old enough to lead. _That is, if she lived that long_, he thought.

He quickly found a branch member and told him to gather the other elders. He then ordered that the girl in the guest room be brought to the Great Hall.

---

Héng Wǔ sighed as she walked into the village. The village gate had been literally kicked down by Naruto making it much easier to enter. However, it also announced their presence to the village. This meant that others would be coming soon. She did a quick scan of the area and saw only two guards that were beaten and bruised. All the civilians were gone, most likely ran the moment the gate fell.

"Hold it right there," said a voice to her left. Héng turned her eyes and saw a blond woman with four pigtails in her hair. She was wearing a black kimono and had a large fan in her hands ready to swing. "Who are you people and why are you attacking us? Are you with the Sound?"

"As if you didn't already know," said Héng as she turned to face Temari. "We are here for our people. All those who get in our way are our enemies." She then turned her head to look at the gate and sighed. "You four stay there. The odds of my victory will be lessened in I have to protect you."

"Hai," said four female voices all at once.

Héng turned her head back at her opponent and began to evaluate her. _She's not a close range fighter_, thought Héng. _Judging by that fan, she is a wind user. An over confidant one at that. She'll start out with a long range wind jutsu. Then she will repeat it or similar ones until I am cut to shreds or to badly injured to fight._

Then, just as Héng predicted, Temari yelled out, "**Kamaitachi no Jutsu!**" As the winds neared Héng, she pulled out her swords and yelled, "**Kaze Gaeshi**!" as she slashed at the winds and canceled the attack.

"What the?!" shouted Temari in shock.

"Your moves are obvious," said Héng dryly. "I can predict your every move and respond in kind."

"Like hell," swore Temari. "**Kamaitachi no Jutsu!**" Héng stood there and before the jutsu hit her she vanished. The next thing that Temari knew was the feeling of the tip of her opponent's sword at the back of her neck.

"Allow me to explain this to you," said Héng in a calm tone. "In my village, I am ranked as a high jonin. Mainly because I have yet to meet certain requirements that are needed. However, I can go toe to toe with any of the jonin. My ability to judge the situation in battle is perfect and I can predict my opponents fighting style within seconds. Add that with my speed and kenjutsu and it equals my victory." Héng was about to plunge her sword into Temari's neck when a kunai was thrown at her from above. Héng was forced to move and Temari got her distance as well, they both looked up at who had thrown it and saw Kankuro standing on the side of the wall.

"Sorry," he said as he crossed his arms. "But no one kills my big sis." He then jumped down and landed next to Temari.

"What are you doing here?" asked Temari. "I thought that you were helping Baki-sensei while Gaara is here."

"Gaara sent me a message," he replied. "Something about the Leaf council making more enemies than they needed. He asked me to come here and help out." His face then hardened as he gazed at his opponent. "So, who's the chick?"

"I don't know her name," said Temari with a sigh. "She is fast and uses kenjutsu with those Chinese swords."

"Then this will be easy," said Kankuro as he reached for the scrolls on his back. But Héng wasn't going to give him the chance to use them. In an instant she was in front of him and yelled, "**Duan-chang San-Yin Ji**!" as the back end of her sword hit his under jaw and the fist holding onto the other slammed into his gut while stabbing his foot all at the same time. Kankuro's eyes rolled to the back of his head as he passed out.

"That was easy," said Héng as she cleaned the tip of her blade. She then glanced at Temari who was now checking on her brother. Temari then grabbed him and fled the area. Héng let out a sigh. There was no point in chasing them. She had her mission to complete after all. "Let's go."

"About time," said the eldest of the Hyuuga sisters as she and her sisters entered the village.

---

Konohamaru was in training field 19, preparing to start training for the day. He was going to be training so that he would be ready to take the jonin exam that he should have taken a while ago. However, due to all of his recent missions he had little time to train or prepare for the exam. In fact, he had only just returned from a four month mission last night.

Konohamaru was now 18 years old. He wore the standard chunin outfit with one exception. He was still wearing the same scarf he always wore around his neck. He was tall, about the same height as Ebisu. His brown hair was still as messy as ever.

He was about to start his warm ups when Gai landed a few feet away from him, nearly causing the chunin to piss his pants. Slowly he moved over to the spandex wearing jonin and saw that he was out cold. Most likely he hit his head on impact.

"Who could have done this?" he asked aloud. He then closed his eyes and opened his senses to feel all nearby chakra signatures. This was a trick that Kurenai, his aunt, had taught him. Everyone had a chakra signature and if you opened your senses enough you could 'feel' them. At least, that's the way she explained it. It was useful for telling how many enemies there were and stuff like that. However, you couldn't tell which was friend or foe and you kind of had to estimate how much chakra a person had.

Konohamaru 'felt' three large chakra signatures nearby. Then, one seemed to vanish. Then the other one vanished as well. Deciding to check it out, Konohamaru left the training site and rushed to the spot where he had 'felt' them. The spot seemed to be close to the Hyuuga compound and he hoped that there wasn't another incident with Yugito. Every time she came to the village there was at least one Hyuuga who started a fight with her since her village had once tried to steal the secret of their bloodline.

When he arrived there, about two minutes after he left, Konohamaru gasped in shock. Asuma had his head shoved through a wall. Kurenai was lying on the ground with her arm bent in a way that screamed broken. The young Sarutobi gritted his teeth and rushed forward to find the person who did this. It didn't take long until he saw a man in a white trench coat and cowboy hat.

"Stop right there!" demanded Konohamaru. The man turned around, his hat casting a shadow over his face. The only thing that Konohamaru could see was his blue eyes. "You attacked my family. Why?"

"They got in my way," was the reply. Konohamaru bit his thumb and made the hand signs. He then yelled, "**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**" There was a puff of smoke and when it cleared stood Enma.

"I, Konohamaru Sarutobi, will make you pay for that. **Henge: Kongōnyoi!**" A moment later the ape turned into a staff. Konohamaru took hold of it and got ready to strike.

"Konohamaru?" said the figure questionly. He then blinked in understanding. "I see. I can understand your desire to fight me." Konohamaru charged at him and swung the staff with all his might at the left side of his head. The man raised his left arm and caught the attack in the palm of his hand. "I understand all too well. You want to see me pay for what I have done. However, this is a fight you cannot win." He then pushed away the staff and turned around. "I suggest you get them to a hospital. I have not killed them, but I think it would be best." He started to walk away but Konohamaru rushed at him while making a thrusting motion with the staff. The man jumped up, landed on the staff, and spun around to deliver a roundhouse kick. Konohamaru was hit on the side of his head and was knocked to the ground. The figure landed on the ground and watched as Konohamaru tried to get back up.

"I won't give up," said the young Sarutobi as he tried to get up. However, his strength failed him and he fell back to the ground. But, he tried to get up again.

"Why not?" asked his opponent.

"Because they never gave up," said Konohamaru as he slowly crawled up. "My oji-san gave up his life for this village. Then, the person I looked up to the most died while trying to bring back his teammate." Tears were now rolled down Konohamaru's eyes as he fell back to the ground. "They gave their all for this village and I have tried to do the same. That's why I can't just let you walk away. Because they would have fought you till they beat you or they were dead."

"You never change," said the man with a sigh. He then reached down and ruffed up the teen's hair playfully. "I bet you are still using the oiroke no jutsu that I taught you." At that, Konohamaru's eyes widened and he looked up at the face of Naruto.

"B-Boss?" he asked. Naruto smiled as he turned around and began to walk away. "Wait! I thought you were dead. Where have you been all this time? Why are you attacking us?"

"Because," said Naruto without turning around. "This village took people who are precious to me. And until I get them back, all those who stand in my way are my enemy."

---

"Well," demanded Mai. "Where is Haku-chan?!"

Tsunade gulped as she stared at the woman in front of her. She had wondered what kind of person Naruto had married since she met Haku. Naturally, she never considered a member of the Uchiha clan. After all, the last Uchiha that Naruto had gotten close to nearly killed him. Not to mention being hunted by Itachi.

"Uzumaki-san," said Tsunade once she regained her composer. "I would like to apologize for the actions of one of my jonin. He was acting under the order of the former council who have been stripped of their title as punishment."

"Do you take us for fucking idiots?" asked Zanku.

"She is telling the truth," said the Daimyo. "But I am also to blame. I shouldn't have allowed them to send someone with Tsunade's party. I wanted to give them one more chance and this is the result."

"Don't worry, we'll start by giving back your son," said Tsunade. "Shizune!" A moment later, Shizune entered the room. She seemed a bit confused by all the people there but kept quiet.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama?" said Shizune.

"Haran told me he was taking Haku to the park," said Tsunade as she kept her eyes on Mai. "Go and tell him his kaa-san is here to pick him up." Shizune nodded and vanished in a puff of smoke.

For a moment, no one spoke. They just stared at each other. The level of tension was so high it would crush you if you let down your guard. Then, Mai Uzumaki broke the silence.

"My husband told me about the Kyuubi," she said. "How it was sealed inside him the day he was born to save this village. After that, you treated him like shit. No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, he was always turned away.

"That's why I was angry at him when he didn't kill your people on the spot when they interrupted the chunin exam. Then it grew when he said he was letting them go. I knew they would take advantage of this. I knew something horrible would happen. I tried to tell him. I pleaded with him, yelled at him; I even threatened him with no sex after the baby was born. But, he wanted to give your people another chance. Why? Why is he willing to give this place chance after chance when all it does is screw him over?"

"What's to understand," said Zanku. "The dumbass has shit for brains. Remember the time he went up against a hundred bandits just to save one man?" Mai went into a thinking pose.

"Was that before or after the time he went to rescue the Hyuuga sisters from that kidnapper?" she asked with a thoughtful look.

"After," said Zanku. "Defiantly fucking after."

"Right," said Mai. "Now I remember. He's done so many things like that it's hard to remember them all."

"Kaa-san!" cried Haku as he ran past everyone and went straight for his mother who deactivated her Sharingan. He latched onto her leg and began to hug it. Shizune along with Haran and Hiashi, who had gone with her as bodyguards, awed at the sight. "I missed you kaa-san."

"I missed you to Haku-chan," said Mai as she petted his hair. She wanted to bend down and hug him tightly…but that wasn't a good idea in her current condition. "Are you all right? Did anyone hurt you or make you cry?"

"I can assure you he is fine," said Tsunade.

"And if anyone did they would have to deal with me," said Haran. "Ah, did Naruto come with you?"

"Hai," said Mai. However, her voice was a bit queasy. "He went to get Asahi-chan. We believe that she would most likely be with the Hyuuga's." Hiashi began to sweat.

"But why…" began Tsunade, but something happened that caused her to stop and her eyes to go wide. "Oh shit."

Mai Uzumaki's water broke.

---

"Let me go," demanded Asahi as she struggled. Her arms were being held tightly by two branch members on both sides as they took her to the Great Hall. In the Hall were the Elders who were talking amongst themselves. That was until they saw Asahi.

"What is going on here?" demanded an Elder. That was when Akio stepped into the room with ink and a brush.

"I would think that would be obvious," he said. Akio then looked at the branch members. "Put her in the middle of the Hall and hold her." Seeing them do as he commanded he turned his attention back to his fellow Elders. "It is time we placed this girl in the branch family."

"You can't," said Nami as she took a stand against him. "Hiashi-sama told us to wait until we hear the fate of the council."

"We are being attacked," said Akio. "Placing the seal on this girl is the best course of action."

"Do we know for sure that it is Uzumaki-san?" asked Taki. "It could be the Sound or some other enemy."

"It is my nii-san!" yelled Asahi. Everyone turned to look at her and she glared back at them. "He's here and he's going to kick all your asses! No matter what you do he will win!"

The Elders weren't ignorant. It was because of this fact that they were able to see the look in her eyes. She had seen freedom and known it her whole life. And mixed in with that was faith. Not blind faith, but faith that comes with experience. Her eyes said that she knew Naruto was coming because he had done it over and over.

Akio said nothing. He moved in front of her and sat down while placing the ink and brush next to him.

"Even if you are right it won't change a thing," said Akio. "The life you knew before this is over. From this day forward, your entire existence will be to serve the main house. If I tell you to jump, you will ask how high. If you see a member of the main house in danger, you must put yourself in their place even if it means death. You have no rights, no future. You belong to this clan and will follow its rules." Akio paused to allow her to absorb this information. It was always a joy for him to see their faces in fear. Some begged and pleaded. Others cried and made themselves look pathetic.

Then, without warning, Asahi spat on his face.

"I am Asahi Uzumaki," she said with pride. "I am the younger sister of Naruto Uzumaki, the Kitsune-sennin. My home is the Village of Hidden Kitsunes. My home, my family, and my friends are the only things I will give my life for. Do whatever you want to me; I won't give you an inch."

Akio took out a napkin and whipped the spit away. He then put it away and looked at the girl for a moment. Then he slapped her hard enough to cause her lips to start bleeding.

"I will enjoy watching your resolve break," said Akio. He then reached for the brush.

"Stop it Akio," demanded Nami, then she felt a hand grab her shoulder. She turned around and saw the other Elders, except Taki, looking at her. Taki was also being held by the shoulder.

"Elder Nami," said the Elder who was holding her. "If there is even a chance that this could help the village we must take it. Hiashi-sama can no longer lead us."

Akio smirked as he picked up the brush. Slowly he dipped it in the ink. Time then seemed to crawl as the brush then moved towards Asahi's head.

"**Juutsume!**" Suddenly a large blue claw of chakra burst through the door. It stopped short of Akio, but it was enough to get him to drop the brush and spill the ink in fear. When the smoke cleared, a figure in a white trench coat was standing in the doorway.

"Damn," he swore as he took two steps in the room and then folded his arms. "I missed. But I guess that's to be expected when you can't see through walls."

"Who are you?" demanded Akio as he stood up. "There is a sealing ceremony taking place and outsiders are not welcome!"

"Lucky me," said Naruto with a smirk. "I had thought that you would have slapped that seal on my nee-chan the moment you saw here. Looks like the hero really does appear at the last minute." Akio's eyes widened when he realized who he was talking to.

"Kill him!" shouted Akio as he turned to the branch members. "KILL HIM N…" He was unable to complete that sentence as Naruto grabbed his head and thrush downwards into the wooden floor. There was a crack and then everyone saw that Akio's head was buried underneath the floor. Naruto then turned to the branch members and smiled.

"Are you sure you want to follow that order?" he asked. They shook their heads. "Good. Now let go of Asahi-neechan." The two complied and Asahi ran over to her brother.

"About time," she said as she folded her arms. "I was beginning to worry that you got lost."

"Like that would happen," said Naruto. He then turned around and walked away with Asahi tailing right behind him. "Now, let's get Haku so we can get the hell out of here."

"Wait," said Asahi. "Haku is here to?"

"Hai," replied Naruto as they left the Great Hall. "Let's go see baa-chan now."

Translations:

Duan-chang San-Yin Ji: Gut wrenching three-yin blow

Next time I will start doing character profiles. Just something to look forward to.


	20. Chapter 20

I'm back with another exciting chapter. For all of you wondering where I have been, you do know that I have other fanfics, right? I recently updated Bloody Fox, Wind Lord, Brown Eyes Meets Blue, and put up a note in Naruto: Ninja of the Sand. Also I have a life outside writing. Warhammer 40000 and World of Warcraft. Sometimes you need to take a step back from writing some you can get the creative juices flowing.

I have also been watching Smallville. My local video retail store has every DVD that's out for a dollar a piece. Anyways, I decided to see what the big deal was about. Its ok, I mean I was never a big Superman fan because he has so many powers making him look cheap. So far, I am on the sixth season. What is with people in that town getting knocked out? How come it took Chloe four seasons to figure out that Clark has powers when she is some ace reporter? Lex needs to work on his people skills and get a hobby that doesn't involve spying on his friends or aliens. Maybe he should get a pet. Lana is too needy and a bitch in my opinion. I mean, every time that Clark shows that he's worried about her she bites his head off thinking that he is jealous. Clark should be with Chloe, but I do love the way he and Louis fight all the time.

But it did give me ideas. Like, what if Lana made a wish that the meteor shower never happened and it came true. Suddenly she is in an alternate reality where Lex and Chloe are dead and no one has ever heard of Clark Kent. Or for the anime fan's, what if he met everyone's favorite space pirate Ryoko?

And in the world of Naruto, Madara's power is finally out. Space and time powers seem pretty cool. Sorry Shino but you lost your big chance. Please, let the black flames kill Sasuke. And what is going on with the Kisame fight?

All right, you have all waited long enough. Let's rock!

-x-

"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap," swore Zanku as he carried some clean white towels into the room. On Tsunade's office floor was Mai. She was now breathing hard with tears in her eyes. Her face was full of sweat as she gritted her teeth. Tsunade had placed herself between the woman's legs. Shizune sat next to Mai with a tub of hot water.

"Alright," said Tsunade as she cleaned her hands. As much as she wanted to do this in a hospital, moving her at that moment would be too risky. So, they would have to do it in her office. "We have to start now. Shizune, you will be assisting me. You, guy who swears a lot, I want you to hold her hand."

"You got to be fuckin kidding me," said Zanku as his eyes bulged. "The last time she gave birth she crushed Naruto's hand. And I happen to like my hand the way it is."

Mai looked at him. Her face was now dripping with sweat. Zanku gulped as she activated her Sharingan. Now it was his turn to sweat. With a sigh of defeat, he slowly moved next to Mai and held her hand. He only hoped that there was a medic who could repair his hand after all his bones had been shattered.

-x-

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" wailed Haku. He was outside Tsunade's office with the Daimyos, Gaara, Haran, and Hiashi. Tears were falling down from his whisker marked face and his fox ears were drooped. "I (sniff) broke my (sniff) (sniff) kaa-san!"

The adults looked at Haku and sighed. In Haku's mind, he had 'broken' her when he hugged her. Why was this? Well, he was still holding her when her water broke. Once the shock had worn off he began crying, blaming himself for the situation in his mind.

"What should we do?" asked Hiashi as he turned and looked at Haran.

"Why are you asking me?" demanded Haran. "I missed the birth of my only son and his entire childhood. You're the family man. You should know what to do!"

"I've never had to deal with anything like this," insisted Hiashi. "Besides, my parenting skills aren't the greatest. I mean, they're better than they used to be but I don't know how to fix this." They then looked at Gaara.

"Hinata-chan deals with the kids when they cry," he said as he took a step back. "Maybe the situation needs a woman's touch."

"Don't even think about it," said Koyuki. "I'm an actress and a Daimyo, not a mother. I've never had to play one before." She then got into a thinking pose. "Well, there was that one time in that Icha Icha movie where my character got pregnant." Everyone sweat dropped at that.

"I broke my (sniff) kaa-san!" Haku continued to wail. "I'm a bad (sniff) boy!"

"Please somebody do something," begged Haran. "The only real skills I have are shinobi related and creating 'evil' organizations." Hiashi looked at Haran and then at Haku. He then sighed as he shook his head. As the head of the Hyuuga clan he had to set a good example. Besides, if Haku died of dehydration, Naruto wouldn't be very happy. And with the way this kids tears were flowing it would happen soon. Hiashi moved over to the weeping child and looked down at him.

"Ah…It's not your fault," Hiashi said with uncertainty. Haku looked up at Hiashi and stopped crying for a second. Then, when the second was over, he began to cry again at full force.

-x-

Héng walked down the streets of the village with the Hyuuga sisters behind her. The sisters were using their Byakugan to try and find Asahi and Haku. Yet their minds turned out to be easily distracted. Every time one of them found a dress that she liked she had to tell the others. Then there were the 'that chair does not go with that room' bits. Héng wanted to scream. They were on a different continent. They had their own fashion sense.

Héng did her best to resist the urge to kill. Naruto had insisted that the Hyuuga sisters come with them due to their seal knowledge. Physically, the girls were not at all strong. Back in the days of the bandits they used seduction to kill their opponents. One minute the guy would be kissing one of them and the next he would have a kunai in his back. Yet, they knew about the cage bird seal. Back when the Hyuuga's came to Celestial there was a man from the main house who had come with the branch members. He had gone with them because he had fallen in love with a woman and the clan refused to allow them to be together. So he left with her on a boat heading to a new land. With him, he brought the knowledge on how to remove the seal without killing anymore or having their bloodline removed. This knowledge he passed down to his children and then to their children and so on. This was done in case the day ever came that the Hyuuga clan ever found out about them and tried to place the seal on them.

The girls continued to walk down the street looking for their allies. The streets were empty as the citizens had gone into hiding while their shinobi were getting ready for a counter attack. It was obvious that everyone left in a hurry. Shops were left open, there was food left on table that was still warm, and shopping baskets were lying on the ground. Then, suddenly, Héng stopped causing the other girls to bump into her.

"Hey," cried Mamizu. "Why did…"

"Shut up," said Héng. A moment later the wall of the building to the left of them exploded a few feet in front of them. Had they kept walking, they would have been right in front of it. Kisame had flew out of the wall, his face covered in a purple slime. A moment later Shinja walked out of the hole. Her clothing was full of cuts and scrapes with various bruises on her skin in those areas. A thin line of blood was coming from her lips. Other than that, she seemed fine.

"Why did I have to fight the ugly one," Shinja said with a sigh.

"Because you waited too long to attack," said a voice from above them. On the roof was Oninenshou. On his shoulder was somebody wrapped in his iron sand. In his opposite hand was his famous doll. The bandaged man shifted his captive off his shoulder and into his free arm. Then, with the grace of a drunken elephant, tossed Diedara onto Kisame. He then jumped down and landed next to his fellow sennin. "Isn't that right Rei-chan?" he asked his doll. "She's not as fast as daddy is."

"You need help," said Shinja as she crossed her arms and shook her head. Oninenshou turned his eyes on her. Shinja winced a bit as she felt the anger and sadness coming from his eyes.

"When you lose your child, talk to me about sanity," said Oninenshou.

"Now, now," said a voice coming from their right. Everyone turned to look and…

"Naruto-kun!" squealed the Hyuuga sisters. Naruto smirked and Asahi just shook her head. Then, brother and sister walked over to their allies. When they were closer, Naruto looked down and saw Kisame's sword. _What the hell?_ he thought. He then looked over at the group.

"I see you have all been busy," he said.

"Not really," said Héng. "So far I have only fought a fan girl and a guy who wears make-up."

"Looks like you got off easy," said Shinja with a look of arrogance. "We had to fight the big guns. Of course, they were no match for us. The shark guy did have an odd weapon though. When it got to close to me it felt like I was losing my chakra. Not that it mattered in the end."

"My opponent was a little off," said Oninenshou. "He kept talking about art while we fought. I thought he wasn't all there in the head until I saw one of his clay sculptures blow up. Plus he had this weird way of talking that was just driving me nuts. Right Rei-chan?" Everyone sweat dropped.

"You know you're the pot calling the kettle black, right?" asked Shinja.

Before Oninenshou could answer that, there was a large puff of smoke around the group. When it cleared, they were surrounded by ANBU. Each one of them was shaking slightly as they held their katana's in their hands. All but one. She had long purple hair and seemed to be the leader of the group. She stepped forward without showing any signs of fear. She looked over the group who looked back at her with little interest, as if they were a mere annoyance.

"This is as far as you go," she said calmly. "Surrounding you are some of the best ANBU in the village. You will come with us to be detained and questioned. If you refuse, we will use force to make you."

"Some of the best uh," said Naruto as he looked around at the ANBU. "It seems that the quality of the shinobi here has slipped since I left. Now why don't you go and tell that old hag you call Hokage to get her wrinkly ass over here so that she can tell me why she had my son kidnapped."

"Shut up demon," said one of the ANBU.

"Sparrow, be silent," said the leader.

"No way," he yelled back. "We should have killed this monster the day he was born. Now he has brought with him even more monsters. We should kill them here and now along with that little hell spawn of his."

"What did you call my son?" asked Naruto in a very angry voice. He then took a step towards the offending ANBU. Immediately the other ANBU tensed up.

"I bet you think you can kill me," said the ANBU. "Well that's impossible. I am ranked the fifth strongest ANBU in this village. There is no way a monster like you could…" He stopped there when Naruto seemed to vanish. The next thing he was something round being shoved into his back before he went sailing through the air. As Naruto lowered his now Rasengan free hand his stupid opponent hit a wall.

"Kill them," cried another ANBU.

"No wait," shouted their leader. However, it fell on deaf ears as the charged at Naruto and the others. Then…

"**Hane Shuriken!**" From above everyone, dozens of brown feathers shot down on the ANBU. Several managed to hit the ANBU in their legs or arms. Then Choukan landed next to his leader Oninenshou with Hana under his arm.

"Sorry I'm late," he said with his famous fake smile. "However this one was a bit of a problem. Plus she's cute so I went easy on her." Naruto chuckled as memories of Kakashi's lame excuses came to mind.

"Try not to let it happen again," said Oninenshou. Choukan nodded as he dropped Hana to the ground. "Good, now we have to see who gets stuck taking care of these pests."

"How dare you…ark," coughed an ANBU. One by one the other ANBU began to scream in pain as roots came out of the soil dug into the skin. The roots then began to move through the enemies bodies, keeping them from moving. Hiding in the shadows, Yuri said, "**Hiru Banshou!**" with glee as her jutsu began to drain the ANBU of the water in their bodies. Once she had drained enough to cause them to faint, she released the jutsu and walked into the open while dragging Itachi who was covered in thick vines and taking a little nap.

"I see you haven't lost your touch," said Naruto with a smirk. To this, Yuri smiled back.

"Ya well, it wasn't like it was hard or anything," she said with a blush. She then stood Itachi up next to her and pointed at his face. "Can I keep him? He's so kawaii!"

"You're acting as if the Kitsune-sennin is our boss," said Shinja with disgust. "We have an alliance with him and nothing more. If you want to take something you don't need permission."

"Well I don't mind," said Naruto. "I wouldn't recommend it thought because that guy killed his entire clan in one night. Not exactly boyfriend material."

"Who said anything about boyfriend," said Yuri. "I just want to stick him on the Wall of Kawaii!"

"Well then," said Naruto with a smirk. "He's all yours."

_How did any of these idiots ever get to be sennin_, thought Shinja. _If Junpuu-sama were still alive then things would be different. I wouldn't be here with these morons saving some gaki's I hate. Just wait till Ukyo-kun gets here. Then we'll be able to make things like they were with the exception of you fools._

Just then, the communicator on one of the ANBU came to life. Then they heard a voice that Naruto recognized as Gaara's.

"Attention all shinobi of the Leaf village," said Gaara. "Please do not attack the invaders. They have come seeking one of their own that was kidnapped. If you spot them, inform them that the child called Haku is safe and sound in the Hokage's Tower. Also, inform them that a woman named Mai Uzumaki is currently giving birth." Slowly, everyone turned their attention to Naruto as the message repeated itself. Naruto's skin had paled and was sweating bullets. He knew he was in deep shit right now with Mai. She wanted him to be there when she gave birth and made him promise to do so. "Also," continued Gaara, "Haku is crying."

That did it. Naruto couldn't stand still anymore. He took off, forgetting he could just teleport there, as fast as he could in the direction of the Hokage's Tower.

"Mai-chan forgive me," cried Naruto as he ran with tears in his eyes. "Haku, daddy's coming!"

"We better go after him," said Yuri. She was about to run after him and then stopped herself. "Are we missing someone?" The others shrugged.

-x-

Elsewhere, something strange was going on. Those jonin that were watching were wishing they were somewhere else. Why you ask?

"LEE-SAN!"

"YOEN-SAN!"

"LEE-SAN!"

"YOEN-SAN!"

"LEE-SAN!"

"YOEN-SAN!"

"LEE-SAN!"

"YOEN-SAN!"

Yes, the two were having a hug fest. After yelling how quickly they would finish the other and the consequences of what would happen if they failed, they devolved a bond. Thus, they began to hug while an image of horse running across a beach with the sun setting behind them appeared. That is why everyone else wished they were somewhere else.

-x-

"WHAAAAAA!" cried Haku. They had tried everything. Hiashi had tried giving him candy. Haran had tried rocking him back and forth like a baby. Koyuki had tried telling him a story. So far, nothing worked.

"Damn it," swore Hiashi. "I've been on A-class missions that were easier than this. Where is Hinata when you really need her?"

"Well, Gaara did say he was going to try and get help," said Haran.

Just then, a figure came running down the halls. The others turned their heads and saw Naruto standing there looking at his crying son. Haku saw him as well between his tear filled eyes. The little fox boy got up and ran over to his father who bent down and held him in his arms.

"T-Tou-san," cried Haku. "I'm sorry."

"Shhh," said Naruto. "I'm not mad at you for getting kidnapped. There was nothing you could do. It wasn't your fault. I'm just glad you're safe."

"It's not that," whispered Haku. "I…I broke kaa-san." At that, Naruto blinked. He then looked at the others in the room for answers.

"Ah, he was hugging his mother when her water broke," said Haran who then looked away. Understanding filled Naruto's eyes as he nodded. He then returned to his son.

"Is that what you're worried about," said Naruto playfully. "Well it takes a lot more than a hug to break your kaa-san. Trust me, she's fine. You'll be seeing her in no time and you'll see that you have been crying for nothing."

"But if I didn't break kaa-san, what happened?" asked Haku with big puffy eyes. Naruto began to look nervous. He had wanted to give him 'the talk' when he was older. How was he going to explain this to him?

"Ah, well," began Naruto. "You see, ah, kaa-san is…" Naruto was cut off as loud noises caught his attention. They were like giant thuds, one shortly after the other. He looked out a window to see if he could see it coming from outside. The view looked normal until it turned red and warty. Then, the window suddenly broke and out popped an old man with long white hair. Haku looked at him brightly.

"Santa!" cried Haku as Jiraiya face faulted.

"I'm not Santa!" yelled Jiraiya as he pointed a finger at Haku. Then he got into a thinking pose. "Although, his ability to watch everyone in the world and not get caught is something I have always wanted." He then heard chuckling coming from the man holding the child who had confused him with Saint Nick.

"Trust me Haku, he's not Santa. You're looking at one of the world's greatest perverts, Jiraiya. Or, as I like to call him, Ero-sennin!" Jiraiya's eyes widened at the sound of that name. The man turned his head to look at him and their eyes locked. "It's been awhile Ero-sennin."

"Naruto," choked Jiraiya. His eyes then went white and he pointed at Naruto. "You little shit! I gave up porn because I thought you were dead. And then after eight years I find out that you have been alive this whole time and have created your own village. How do you think I feel?"

"Proud," said Naruto with a smile. "You trained a boy who no one would give the time of day and that training helped him save a continent. It was also because of your training that I became the Kitsune-sennin. I mean, how many senseis' can brag that they trained two different people who both became leaders of the shinobi community."

"Hmmm," mused Jiraiya as he folded his arms. He then looked up at Naruto and grinned. "Ya got a point there. I rock!" Then his face became serious. "All kidding aside, I wish you could have sent word that you were alive. Tsunade has been blaming herself all these years." Naruto sighed.

"That I couldn't help," said Naruto as he set down Haku. "Things were a little different in Celestial."

"I understand," said Jiraiya. He then walked over to Naruto and placed his hands on the younger man's shoulders. "I just want to say how proud I am of you." Jiraiya then pulled back his arm and punched Naruto in the face. Naruto was thrown back and hit the wall behind him. "But if you ever do anything like that again you won't be getting one of my love taps."

"I'll be sure to remember that," said Naruto as he rubbed his jaw. Then…

"HOLY SHIT!" screamed Zanku from in the office. "PLEASE, YOU'RE HURTING ME!"

"YOU DON"T KNOW WHAT PAIN IS!" screamed Mai back at him.

"JUST LET GO OF MY HAND," begged Zanku. "I REALLY LIKE MY HAND WITH BONES!"

"PUSH MAI," they heard Tsunade say. Then, a few moments later they heard a cry. "WE'RE NOT DONE YET!"

Everyone just stood there and listened. Eventually, Naruto's allies showed up and they too just stood there as they listened to the screaming. Then, when it was over, the door opened and Tsunade came out. In her arms were two babies covered in blankets. She looked around at the crown and spotted Naruto. She walked over to him and smiled.

"There is so much I want to say to you right now," she said. "But I think that can wait. Congratulations, you have twins." With that, she handed the babies to Naruto who accepted them. They both had blond fuzz for hair and blue eyes with whisker marks. On there heads were little fox ears and they both had tails.

"Wow," was all Naruto could say as the babies began to reach out to him.

"You have a healthy boy and girl," said Tsunade with a smile.

-x-

Kakashi was tied up to a wall. His arms kept apart so he couldn't use any jutsus. Ibiki really was a sadist with all the things that he had put the copy-nin through. The one thing that kept Kakashi going was that the council was on his side. They would help him out.

Just then, he heard footsteps coming towards his area. Slowly, he raised his head and was shocked by who he saw. Naruto! And the look Naruto was giving him said that he was very glad to see him again. But, not in a good way.

"Well, well," said Naruto. "Looks like justice isn't dead after all."

"What do you want?" demanded Kakashi.

"Just here to tell you some things," said Naruto. "The council has been disbanded, meaning there's no help coming for you. Tomorrow, I will be starting the talks with the village after a formal and public apology for what you have done." Naruto turned around and took a few steps before stopping again. "One more thing. Baa-chan said I could decide your punishment." Naruto then raised his pointer finger into the air as he turned around. Then, at the very tip, appeared a tiny Rasengan.

"What are you going to do?" asked a scared Kakashi.

"Don't worry," said Naruto. "I'm not going to kill you or take out that eye of yours. I'm just going to make sure you are never able to use another jutsu again." With that, Naruto walked over to Kakashi and pressed the mini Rasengan into the older man's right shoulder. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, Kakashi's shoulder exploded sending his right arm flying. The man screamed in pain as Naruto turned around and walked past the medic who rushed to keep him alive.

-x-

Sasuke and his men continued their way back to the Sound village. That was until Danzo called Sasuke over.

"What do you want Danzo?" demanded Sasuke. Danzo raised an eyebrow at the lack of respect the young man showed him. After all, he was the one training the shinobi of the village. However, they had much more important things to talk about then where Sasuke learned his manners.

"Sasuke-sama, I think we should change our destination," said Danzo. "Right now, we are not ready to attack another shinobi village. However, we could easily take over another country that lacks a shinobi village right now."

"I see," said Sasuke. "Just where do you think we should go?"

"Wave Country is the best trade route in the Elemental Countries," said Danzo. "If we took control of that land, we would control trade for most of the Elemental Countries that are not yet under your control. Then, after a few months, we can attack the Mist village and make it apart of your Empire."

"Very well," said Sasuke. However, Danzo had more to say.

"There is one problem," said Danzo. "We know that Jiraiya now lives in that land since he has cut all ties to his former home. While he will not fight for the Leaf again is a good thing, he is still a risk. If you were to go there and kill him, the entire shinobi world will realize that you are truly unbeatable. You will be known as 'He Who Killed the Sannin'!"

"No," said Sasuke. "I will be remembered as the one who conquered the entire world. Killing this baka will be a minor foot note to the story of my greatness. After all, the only people who can kill an Uchiha are other Uchiha."

-x-

Ok, I need names for the babies. Please send in names and reasons.

Profile

Name: Naruto Uzumaki

Rank: 1. Leaf gennin 2. Kitsune-sennin

Age: 21

Hair: blond

Eye color: blue

Obsessions: ramen and keeping his promises

History: Was born in the Hidden Leaf Village on the day Kyuubi attack. His uncle, who was the reigning Hokage, sealed the Kyuubi into Naruto to save the village. Shortly after that, Haran left the village seeing only the monster in his son. Childhood records show that he was treated poorly by both adults and other children for reasons that he was not aware. At the age of 12 he became a gennin and place in Team 7. Before taking the chunin exam he had completed one A ranked mission with his team. During the chunin exam he showed much improvement and defeated Neji Hyuuga and Gaara. After that, he helped Jiraiya search for Tsunade and learned the Rasengan along the way. His last mission as a Leaf-nin was to rescue Sasuke Uchiha from Orochimaru. It was later proven that Sasuke went to him on his own free will. The two got into a fight which resulted in both knocking each other out. Sasuke was taken back to the village while Naruto was left for dead.

Kyuubi saved Naruto and gave him his Bikoutai or Tail Shift. With that, he set out to help the people in the Celestial Dynasties. While on his journeys he found out that he was a Hyuuga babe magnet. After he killed Junpuu and converted the other sennin to the side of good, he created his own village. He is married to Mai Uzumaki and has a three year old son named Haku. He also has a newborn son and daughter. Names unknown.

Jutsu list:

Bikoutai: This lets Naruto change between his tails based on which one he wants. Each one is based on a different element and gives different powers. For the complete list, please check out chapter 2.

Juutsume: A jutsu that Kyuubi left for Naruto. This jutsu creates a claw of chakra that can be launched at his opponent, grabbing and cutting at the same time. He can also use it point blank, letting him slash through anything.

Kuchiyose: Doton: Kitsune Hora: A summoning jutsu were Naruto summons several foxes that shot up from the ground to bite his opponent. This jutsu is based on one of Kakashi's.

Otekidan: The hairs on Naruto's tail harden until they are like senbon needles. They are then fired at the opponent at high speeds.

Raiton: Raikouago no Jutsu: This jutsu creates a set of jaws made of electricity that are fired at his opponent while they are opening and closing. If hit, the jaws will bit down on the opponent causing a surge of electricity to course through him or her. This jutsu can also be used as a defense.

Rasengan: You should all know this one.

Kage Bunshin: Naruto's first real jutsu. Creates solid clones out of nothing. When destroyed they send everything they learned back to the creator.

Koushou Rasengan: Shinning Rasengan. This jutsu is an unstable Rasengan that explodes in a bright flash of light, blinding everyone in the area with their eyes open for several seconds. However, it can cause permanent damage to those who have a doujutsu activated at the time.

Doton: Koketsu: This is a trap jutsu. Several small spikes come out of the ground around the opponent. The moment he or she moves, they realize that the spikes are teeth as the jaw closes on them.

Fūton: Rasenkazaana: Spiraling Wind Tunnel. This version of the Rasengan creates a vortex of wind that captures the enemy within it. Then, the Rasengan is launched at the enemy. There has never been any record of somebody escaping this jutsu.

Fūton: Rasenkamikaze: The ultimate Rasengan. Unlike the Rasenshuriken, this jutsu cuts at the atomic level as it severs the bond between molecules until the opponent has been reduced to the most basic elements.

Raseniki: Spiraling Breath. This jutsu is a Rasengan that Naruto swallows and then fires from his mouth.


	21. Chapter 21

Before I begin today, I will answer some of the questions I was asked. No, Madara isn't alive in this story nor will he appear. Ochi is Orochimaru. For the names, I'm going with animefan29's suggestion. Thanks again.

This story has been delayed a bit. The reason is, while I was writing this chapter, I learned that the guy who plays's Monk's therapist died. Now, I don't know when it happened or how, but it got me depressed and I didn't feel like writing. Another reason was the crappy manga last week. We wait two weeks and that's all we get, an intro into Madara's past? And then there is another delay? Not to mention that I have finals.

-x-

Tsunade slammed the door to her office, startling Shizune and Tonton. Grumbling to herself, the Hokage made her way to her seat and then sat down. She then reached for her secret stash of sake, the one she kept for emergencies. Without a moment's hesitation, she began to drink right from the bottle.

It had been two days since Naruto had returned to the village. Itachi, Diedara, and Kisame were now out of the hospital after their fight with the sennin. Zanku was still wearing a cast for his hand which had a dozen broken bones. Many of the others who had fought that day were still recovering while the rest had only been knocked out. Mai was resting in the hospital with her twins Ichigo and Hikari. So far they seemed to be in perfect health. Hiashi had punished Akio and the other elders who had sided with him by branding them with the birdcage seal.

That was where the good news ended. During his public apology, people began to shout for his death and a riot began. Things became even worse when they heard what happened to Kakashi and about Mai. Rumors had begun that Naruto was now corrupting the Uchiha clan. She had even had letters asking that Mai's children be exterminated and that she be 'persuaded' to start rebuilding the Uchiha clan. The only good thing about that was Naruto never saw the letters. Tsunade was doing everything within her power to calm everyone down, but with little luck. She had just returned from a meeting with the clan heads in an effort to calm everyone down.

"I take it the meeting didn't go so well," said Shizune quietly.

"Understatement of the year," groaned Tsunade. "Many of the clan heads want Naruto and his friends out and for Mai to stay. No matter how I try to explain it to them, they can't get over their fear and hate. All they will say is that he did exactly what they all said he would do one day, turn on the village."

Shizune lowered her head at that. She had guessed that would have been their response after Naruto's rescue. _Still_, she thought. _If they would have been in his place, they would have done the same thing._

"What will happen now?" asked Shizune.

"Well," said Tsunade as she finished her bottle. "I guess there is nothing left to do. After all this, I doubt that Naruto will want to form any alliance with us. We really could have used his help. I doubt even I could defeat him now, let alone all four of them. But, this village has nailed its own coffin shut."

"Is there any chance that Jiraiya-sama could return?" asked Shizune. Tsunade shook her head.

"Not a chance," said Tsunade. "If he had to choose, he'd side with Naruto. That much is a given." Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Enter." As Tsunade hid her bottle the door opened and Oninenshou stepped into the room. In one hand was his doll while in the other was a bundle of roses. Tsunade raised an eyebrow at this as he made his way over to her.

"For you," he said as he handed Tsunade the flowers. Slowly, Tsunade took them and then smelled them. When she looked back at Oninenshou, there were hearts in his eyes.

"Ah, thank you," said Tsunade nervously. To be honest, the guy creeped her out.

"Tsunade-sama," said Oninenshou as he leaned forward over her desk a bit. "I was wondering if you would like…" Suddenly a chunin entered the room without knocking. In her hand was a message that a messenger hawk just delivered.

"Tsunade-sama," she said with a pant. "This just came in. Sasuke Uchiha is leading a large group of Sound-nin towards Wave."

-x-

Naruto walked down the streets of the village while giving Haku a piggy back ride. Naruto was talking Haku out so he could give his oldest son a lecture on being a big brother as well as spending some time with him. After all, now that there were two more kids, he had to make sure that Haku knew that his parents still loved him just as much as they did before the birth of the twins. As they walked, people glared at the two of them or whispered to each other. Naruto, however, paid it no mind. As soon as Mai and the kids were ready to travel then they would be out of this hellhole of a village.

Then Naruto stopped as he reached their destination. They were finally there. It was the place where Naruto really wanted to go if things had been under different circumstances. It was also the place where Naruto wanted to spend time with his son. And here they were at… Ichiraku Ramen Bar! (Bet you saw this coming a mile away.)

Naruto took Haku off his shoulders and placed him on the seat next to his. Naruto himself then sat down as they waited to be served. It didn't take long for Ayame to see them. She rushed over to them.

"Naruto-kun," she cried. "How are you? It's been forever since I last saw you."

"Hehe," laughed Naruto. "Sorry Ayame-neechan. I would have visited you sooner but I had things to take of."

"Ya could have written and told us you were alive," said Teuchi who was working with some noodles. Naruto chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, I hope you saved some room for ramen." And with that, the old man retuned to the batch of noodles that he was boiling.

"There's always room for ramen," said Naruto with a grin, causing everyone to laugh. "We'll have two miso ramen to start with." Ayame smiled, happy to see their favorite customer again after all these years. Then she noticed that there was someone sitting next to him, a small kitsune boy. Haku lifted his head and their eyes met. When they did, a small red digital clock appeared beneath Ayame and began to count down from ten to zero. When it hit zero she vanished at a speed similar to that of the Hirashin and reappeared next to Naruto holding Haku tightly in her arms. The poor boys face was squished between her breasts.

"Kawaii!!" cried Ayame in high pitched squeal.

"Tou-san," cried Haku in a muffled voice. "Can't…breathe…help."

"Kaa-san," whined a new voice. "Stop it, you're embarrassing me." Naruto turned to the source of the new voice. Standing there near the doorway that connected the kitchen to the street was a small boy. He had short black hair that went down to his ears and dark eyes. He wore a white t-shirt with a smiley face on it and blue shorts. Ayame sighed as she put Haku down on his seat and then went over to the boy.

"I'm sorry Kazuma-chan," she said as she played with the boy's hair. "I don't know what came over me." Naruto raised an eyebrow at this and then watched as she picked him up. She moved over to Haku, who became very nervous, and sent Kazuma down next to him. She then went back behind the counter.

"So you got married?" asked Naruto. Ayame's blush and nod confirmed this and caused Naruto to chuckle. "So, where is your husband?"

"The damn freeloader should have been watching my grandson," said Teuchi in a harsh tone. Naruto looked a little puzzled at that and Ayame decided to explain.

"Tou-san doesn't like him very much," she explained.

"Why's that?" asked Naruto.

"Well, he has a history as a missing-nin," she said. "Also, I had Kazuma-chan before we got married. Tou-san is still a bit angry that he waited so long before he felt he was ready to be a father."

"If he didn't want to be a father he shouldn't have been doing those 'things' with my daughter," growled Teuchi. "Call me old fashioned, but those things should be saved for after marriage." Teuchi then looked up from his boiler and looked at the door that connected the stand to their house. "Hey freeloader, if you're not going to watch my grandson then you can help us out here!" A moment later, a figure walked through the door. It was the last person Naruto expected, Itachi. He was dressed in civilian attire that consisted of jeans and a white shirt.

"Sorry," said Itachi. "My eye sight is getting worse."

"Just help prepare the ramen," snapped Teuchi. Itachi nodded and went over to help Ayame. After a moment, Naruto spoke up.

"Baa-chan told me about the clone you created," he said, getting Itachi's attention. "If it's any consolation, I know how you feel."

"Did you?" asked Itachi.

"No," said Naruto. "Someone else made one of me." For a while, no one spoke. Haku and Kazuma looked at each other, wondering what was going on. Eventually, two bowls where placed in front of Naruto and Haku.

"I still remember everything that he did," said Itachi. "Like I had done it myself. My best friend, my parents, my clan. I even remember how he tortured my brother."

"But you destroyed him at least," said Naruto as he began to eat his ramen. "Mine is still out there, destroying lives. He once came close to killing everyone that I hold dear and he won't stop until he has succeeded. That's why I have to stop him."

Just then, a chunin appeared behind Naruto. Both Haku and Kazuma jumped a bit when he did, but everyone else was calm. Naruto, in fact, just continued to eat his ramen.

"Uzumaki-san," said the chunin in a disrespectful tone. "Tsunade-sama wishes to see you at once." Naruto's eyes narrowed at this.

"Tell the old hag that I'm not one of her shinobi anymore," he said without turning around. "She can't just command me into her office like she used to."

"She said that it was a matter of life and death," said the chunin. "She said it has to do with Sasuke Uchiha." This got both Naruto's and Itachi's attention.

"Haku," said Naruto. "Please stay here with Ayame-neechan."

"Hai," said Haku as he watched his father get up to leave.

-x-

"Thank you all for coming," said Tsunade. In front of her were Naruto, Oninenshou, Shinja, and Yuri. "I know I have no right in asking this, but we need a favor."

"I bet you do," said Shinja. Tsunade looked at the Orochimaru look-a-like and shuttered silently before she continued.

"We just got word that Sasuke Uchiha and a number of his forces are heading for Wave Country," she said. "We believe that they will be there within two days. However, if Sasuke thinks that we're going to do nothing this time he is mistaken. Right now, a large number of my shinobi are gearing up to go and face his. Gaara, Jiraiya, and myself will also be going."

"But you don't think that will be enough," said Oninenshou. Tsunade looked at Naruto, who had his arms crossed, before nodding.

"Sasuke has more troops than us," she said. "In addition, all chunin have the curse seal and the jonin can reach level two. I'm sure Naruto here remembers the power one gains from those seals." Naruto only nodded. "Also with him are the remaining members of the Akatsuki will be there as well. I want to send the best we have in order to stop Sasuke, hopefully for good."

"So you want us to help clean up your mess," said Shinja. Tsunade looked at her, shocked. "Please, I know all about Sasuke Uchiha. While we were deciding the fate of your shinobi back in the Kitsune Village, the Kitsune-sennin told us about the rescue mission and that he was really betraying this village. We later found out from pinky that he has been taking over other villages. And, recently, we found out that this village has done nothing to stop him due to its own delusions." She then looked at her fellow sennin. "Well, am I wrong?"

"No," said Naruto. "You are correct. They merely want to use us to do what they should have done a long time ago."

"Naruto," said Tsunade. "You don't under…"

"I understand," said Naruto as his voice rose. "You sat back and let one village fall after another, all because you didn't have the guts to stand up against the council and do what needed to be done. How any innocent lives were lost because you caved in to the council? How many villages had to suffer because the council was too stupid to realize that the only thing their precious Uchiha cared about was himself? I did my part all those years ago when I stopped Sasuke at the Valley of Ends so don't you dare ask me to go and stop him again!"

"Personal feeling aside," said Yuri. "This isn't our battle. These aren't our people. This isn't our land. We have no reason to fight and there is nothing to be gained if we do. If this Sasuke Uchiha person does come after us, we will stand untied against him."

"But, if we stop him here then you will never have to worry about him," said Tsunade in desperation.

"I'm afraid that we have made up our minds on this," said Oninenshou. With that, they all turned and left.

-x-

An hour later, Tsunade stood at the gate. In front of her was a large number of shinobi. There were several members from each of the top clans in the village. Hinata and Neji were talking to the Hyuuga members. Hana and Kiba were getting the dogs ready. Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru were chatting with their parents with Temari hitting her husband on the head with her fan every time he said troublesome. Sakura and Lee were making sure they had everything that they needed. Tenten was double checking her scrolls. Konohamaru and Hanabi were getting ready while giving each other 'looks' while Udon and Moegi were shaking their heads. Asuma and Kurenai were kissing each other. Gai was being his usual loud self.

Up on a roof top, Naruto and Zanku were looking down at them.

"So," said Zanku. "Do these fuckers have enough?"

"No," said Naruto. "They have enough to put up a decent fight, but that's about it." Tsunade then called out something and everyone began to move out. Naruto looked once more at Tsunade before he turned his back and began to walk away.

"You know," said Zanku. "You could just go. Nothing is fuckin stopping you."

"I know," said Naruto. "But this isn't my fight anymore."

"Just like it wasn't your fight against the shit brained sennin," said Zanku. "I seem to remember that you once upon a time wanted to leave Asahi somewhere and then get the fuck out of Celestial because it wasn't your fight. Then you changed your mind."

"I would have thought that you of all people would love to leave here," said Naruto. "Especially after what Kakashi-teme did to you."

"True," said Zanku. "But I also know what the fuck it's like to live under oppression and have everything I care about taken from me." Zanku then turned and moved to the ledge. "Just remember that whatever you choose, you will have to live with." And with that, he jumped off.

-x-

The next day, Naruto was sitting at his favorite spot as he thought about what to do. Zanku did have a point about what Sasuke had planned. And maybe his decision was based on personal feeling towards this village. Yet, why should he stick his neck out for this place again? After everything they had done to him and his family, why help them? But…he didn't want Jiraiya, Gaara, or Tsunade to die just because he had a grudge against the village.

"I guess you can't have everything you want," said Naruto aloud.

He slowly got up to leave when he felt it. A powerful chakra signature coming from far away. No, wait, four powerful chakra signatures. Naruto narrowed his eyes as he began focus on them, looking for their source. After a moment, Naruto bared his teeth and clenched his fists as the signature vanished. He knew who they were and where they were. It looked like he was heading to Wave Country after all.

-x-

At the same time, two other people felt the chakra signatures. One was Karin, who was still in the Sound village. She began to tremble in fear because the four people she had just felt were stronger than anyone else she had ever felt before. Together, it was almost inhuman.

The only other person who felt it was Orochimaru. He had been taking a nap when it happened. As soon as he felt it he woke up and jumped out of bed. He raced for the exit in the underground village and soon was at the surface. He faced the direction for a moment until if faded away. Then, a smile came across his lips.

"This will be amusing," he said before returning to the safety of the underground village.

-x-

Inari, now eighteen, was helping his mother move out of the house. Tsunami had decided to move to a dryer and warmer place for her retirement and leaving Inari the house. After all, he was old enough to live on his own and the house should stay in the family.

The impact Naruto had on Inari when he was a boy was unimaginable. After Naruto left, Inari began to train to become stronger. When he heard about the blond's death, it only encouraged him to train harder. Since Jiraiya had moved into the area, he went to the old pervert to take him on as a student. After some reluctance, Jiraiya agreed. Now, Inari was 5'6'' and well built. He wore a light blue vest that showed off his six pack and white pants. Around his head was a rope like he had when he was younger and Kaiza was still around. Strapped to his back was a spear.

"Inari, Inari," called out a voice. Inari turned around and saw one of the villagers running to them. He set down the box he had been holding when the man approached. "This is terrible!"

"Calm down," said Inari gently. "What's the problem?"

"The Sound is coming," cried the villager. "They will be at the bridge soon." Inari nodded and then turned to his mother.

"I'm going to the bridge," he said.

"You can't," cried Tsunami. "You can't stop a whole army on your own."

"Maybe I can't," said Inari. "But at least I'm going to do something about it. Like how tou-san and Naruto-niisan did." And with that, Inari raced to the bridge.

-x-

Sasuke was at the front of his army as they crossed the bridge. The name of the bridge was amusing, but he would have to change it once he took over. Or maybe he shouldn't. A bridge named after a dobe for a dobe country sounded right. Then he stopped when he saw that someone was waiting for them. However, it wasn't Jiraiya. It was some teenager with a spear.

"Move boy," said Sasuke.

"And just let you walk in here like you own it," growled Inari. "Like hell I will."

Sasuke said nothing. He reached into his holder and pulled out three kunai and threw them at Inari. Sasuke had expected them to either hit him or for the boy to run. But neither thing happened. Inari used his spear and deflected all three.

"I see," said Sasuke. Sasuke then motioned with his head and two chunin Sound-nins ran towards Inari. Once they were close enough, they pulled out their kunai and lunged at him, stabbing him in the chest. However, Inari went puff. The two chunins were shocked and didn't see that Inari was falling down on them with his spear pointing down. He landed on the first on and pierced his head. As he landed, he spun around and kicked the other chunin on the side of his head. Sasuke watched as Inari pulled his spear out of the fallen chunins head.

"I'll take care of him," said Hidan as he stepped forward. "I will offer up this punk's soul to Jashin in no time."

"Fine," said Sasuke. "Sasori, when he is done you can make a puppet out of him. That should serve as an example to anyone else who is foolish to stand against me." Sasori simply nodded, not really caring.

Everyone watched as Hidan readied his scythe. Inari readied his spear. He could tell that this guy was in a different league than the two chunin he just fought. Then, just as Hidan was about to make his move, a loud crash was heard from the rear.

"Sasuke Uchiha," called out Tsunade. "This is as far as you go."

"Kill them," said Sasuke without looking back. At that, all his shinobi began to activate their cursed seals before charging at the Leaf-nins and the few Sand-nin. Unlike the former Sound Four, all of Sasuke's shinobi had been trained under the instructions that Danzo had laid out. Making them much stronger and more dangerous.

But, that did mean that they were fighting pushovers as well.

Now, the only ones who were standing in front of Inari were Sasuke, the last of the Akatsuki, Danzo, Jugo, and Suigetsu.

"What's the matter?" asked Inari. "Too scared to fight with them?"

"Hardly," said Sasuke. "I am merely softening them up for later."

"You mean that you are sacrificing your own shinobi just to weaken them?" demanded Inari.

"That is correct," said Sasuke. Inari was shocked. How could someone have no value towards human life? What kind of monster was he? Inari was so wrapped in thought that he forgot that Hidan was still in front of him. The immortal threw his scythe at Inari in an attempt to get some blood. Inari realized it too late, he couldn't move to block it or dodge it in time.

Then it happened. A bolt of lightning hit the ground in front of him and a figure appeared. The man in front of Inari caught the scythe with his bare hand and then dropped it on the ground. Everyone in the area stared at this man in a cowboy hat as he turned around to look at Inari.

"Well this is a surprise," said Naruto. "Looks like you stopped crying in your room like a Greek tragedy."

Inari looked at Naruto in shock as he began to recognize him.

"N-Naruto-niisan," said Inari as he took a step back and fell to the ground.

"Yep it's me," said Naruto. He then turned around to face Sasuke and the others. "You're lucky that I happen to be running early. I'm expecting someone else to show up so I don't have a lot of time to play with little teme over there."

Sasuke starred at Naruto in disbelief. _It can't be him_, thought Sasuke. _I killed him years ago._ Then it all began to make sense. Why his Sharingan didn't evolve when he killed him. It was because he had survived somehow. And now, here he was.

"Naruto," said Sasuke with a smirk.

"Sasuke," said Naruto. "It's been awhile."

-x-

Profile

Name: Zanku

Rank: ANBU Captain

Age: 23

Hair: red

Eye color: dark

Obsessions: swearing and taco's

History: Born in the Celestial Dynasties, he lived in Pegasus with his mother and little brother. When he was seven, the Panda gang took all the women and children from the village to be sold as slaves while the men were killed. Luckily, Zanku was in the fields and hide during the events that took place that day. After that, he decided to become a bounty hunter in order to get some payback. The fate of his mother and little brother are still unknown.

He was saved eight years later by Naruto. After that, the two became friends and fought together in order to defeat the sennin. While it may not look like it, they respect each other greatly. However, they will still fight over what to eat or make things into competitions. This can lead to violence which causes Mai to step in and scold them.

Zanku is very unlucky in love. This is due to his swearing and the fact that he is always next to Naruto. Yet, Zanku is not angry at Naruto. Instead, he finds it humorous that Naruto is constantly being chased by women.

Zanku fights with his zanbato named Kirigakuon, Note Slasher. The weapon is like a mix of a harmonica and a sword that helps him create sound based attacked with a great amount of power.

Jutsu List:

Chouon Bakudan: Supersonic Boom: Zanku jumps into the air and swings his sword downward, sending a powerful shock wave of air moving at supersonic speeds towards the ground. This jutsu can take out several people at the same time.

Fushiken: Melody Blades: Zanku swings his sword sending out sound blades that make a humming sound at his target. These blades are similar to the Dance of Blades in appearance.

Kaze no Yaiba: Blade of Wind: This is a jutsu in case Zanku ever lost his sword in battle. Same jutsu that Baki uses.


	22. Chapter 22

Sorry it took so long for this update. I bet you were all on pins and needles after that cliffy. After my last posting of one of my others fics I fell into a bit of a depression and didn't feel like writing. For example, my cat ran away. There were other things, but that one was the biggest. I got him back, but still…

Oh well. In Naruto, it looks like he has finally learned about Jiraiya's death. Hopefully the toads are there to offer some training or something. Because he really needs it now.

Let's rock!

-x-

Haku was sitting in the living room of Ayame's and Itachi's home. Next to him were Akane and Kazuma. The newly wed couple was on babysitting duty while their parents went off to fight. Itachi had been kept from joining in on the mission to stop Sasuke, and was not happy about that.

"I can't believe it," said Itachi before he took a sip of his tea. "I should have gone with them!"

"I know you feel that way," said Ayame. "But you said so yourself that your eyesight is getting worse and worse. And you still haven't totally recovered from that fight you had with Naruto-kun's friends. If anything happened to you, I don't…" Ayame stopped there as tears began to roll down her cheeks. Itachi sighed as he reached over and held her hand.

"I'm sorry," he said gently. "But he's still my brother. I feel like I should be doing more."

"I'm sure you'll play your part when the time comes," said Ayame.

Back in the living room, Haku and the others were watching the Prince of Egypt. However, Haku seemed to be slowly falling asleep. He tried to stay awake, however it was his nap time back home and he was very tired. The kitsune boy gave one final yawn before falling into slumber land.

-x-

The next thing Haku knew was that he was on a bridge. On one end was his father, standing tall and staring at someone at the other end. Haku looked and saw a man who scared him. He looked like the boy his father had shown him in a picture, a boy called Sasuke Uchiha. The man had the same eyes that his mother had, but he had a different feeling than his mother did. When Haku was around his mother, he felt love and a calming sensation. But this person was like ice, chilling the poor boy to the bone. Then he heard voices singing from everywhere.

I send a pestilence and plague  
Into your house, into your bed  
Into your streams, into your streets  
Into your drink, into your bread  
Upon your cattle, on your sheep  
Upon your oxen in your field  
Into your dreams, into your sleep  
Until you break, until you yield  
I send the swarm, I send the horde  
Thus saith the Lord

Then, Naruto sang. His voice was filled with pain, unlike anything Haku had ever heard before.

Once I called you brother  
Once I thought the chance  
to make you laugh  
Was all I ever wanted...

Then the voices returned. Unlike before, they began to sing louder until they were shouting.

I send the thunder from the sky  
I send the fire raining down

Once again, Naruto began to sing. His eyes filled his pain as he remembered their past.

And even now I wish that God  
had chose another  
Serving as your foe on his behalf  
Is the last thing that I wanted...

Now the voices were like thunder, as if everyone in the world was singing at the same time.

I send a hail of burning ice  
On ev'ry field, on ev'ry town

Naruto waved his hand towards the mainland. Haku looked in horror at what he saw. Homes burning to the ground. People dead in each others arms. People with the Sound symbol on their foreheads taking children from their parents. The land no longer looked usable as dead animal littered the fields. Then Naruto pointed a finger at Sasuke and looked at him in anger.

This was my home  
All this pain and devastation  
How it tortures me inside  
All the innocent who suffer  
From your stubbornness and pride...

Once again, the voices reappeared. And as they sang this time, a shadow appeared around Sasuke and began to grow and spread all over the bridge. But it stopped at Naruto's feet.

I send the locusts on a wind  
Such as the world has never seen  
On ev'ry leaf, on ev'ry stalk  
Until there's nothing left of green  
I send my scourge, I send my sword  
Thus saith the Lord!

Now Sasuke sang. As he did, his Sharingan activated and looked at Naruto with hate.

You who I called brother  
Why must you call down another blow?

The voices reappeared, singing along with Naruto. And as they did, Naruto began with a bright white light that began to push away the shadows that had come from Sasuke.

I send my scourge, I send my sword  
Let my people go  
Thus saith the Lord

Now Sasuke began to sing once more. And as he did, he began to change. His skin began to darken as his hair color became lighter. A large four pointed star appeared on his nose and his sclera turned black as well. Then, two hand-like wings grew out from his back. To Haku, he looked like a demon that had escaped from hell to torment him in his dreams.

You who I called brother  
How could you have come to hate me so?  
Is this what you wanted?

The voices reappeared. Singing at the top of their lungs so loudly that Haku covered his ears.

I send the swarm, I send the horde...

Sasuke began to sing again. As he did, lightning began to circle around his body.

Then let my heart be hardened  
And never mind how high the cost may grow  
This will still be so:  
I will never let your people go...

Now the voices came back.

Thus saith the Lord:

Naruto began to repeat what they had just sung.

Thus saith the Lord:

Sasuke yelled out his verse.

I will not...

Now all three of them sang together as Naruto and Sasuke charged at each other.

Let your (my) people go!

-x-

Haku then woke up with a start as the movie ended. He was sweating from head to toe as he began to take deep breathes. Akane looked scared. Soon Kazuma, who had gone to get his parents, came in with them. Haku looked at the TV and saw that it was over.

-x-

"Yes it has been a while dobe," said Sasuke. "Funny, I thought you were dead." Naruto smirked as he stared at Sasuke who stood in front of his forces while he deactivated his Bikoutai. Most of his men were fighting Tsunade and the group from the Leaf village while his elites stood next to him.

"Ya," said Naruto. "A lot of people thought that as well. To tell the truth, I was really close to dying. But I'll tell you this; it was all worth it to take you down." Sasuke snorted.

"Please," he said. "You have never beaten me before. Our last fight proved that."

"Tisk, tisk," said Naruto as he waved a finger at Sasuke. "Looks like you have selective memory. My mission was to stop you from going to Orochimaru. You had to get past me to get to him and you failed! So, if you look at it like that, you lost to me." Sasuke gritted his teeth. The dobe had a point. What happened that day took a large blow to his pride, something that he had never fully recovered from. Slowly, Sasuke took a deep breath.

"So, why are you here now?" asked Sasuke. "Someone like you would have come at me a long time ago. So why have you waited all this time?"

"To be honest," said Naruto. "I'm not here for you. Someone else is supposed to be arriving soon and I just happen to get here early. You'll be a good warm up for when he arrives." With that, Naruto threw off his hat and jacket to reveal his fox features and the weights on his body. He was still wearing a weight vest and weight arm bands that were colored blue.

Sasuke stared at Naruto with hate. He, the great Uchiha, was just a warm up?! Who did this baka think he was? He was the person who had conquered most of the shinobi world! Even the Rock village had fallen to him. Sasuke gritted his teeth as anger flowed through him, anger he hadn't felt in a long time that could only be caused by one person in the world. And yet, there was a strange satisfaction to it. Naruto hadn't changed a bit, besides the ears and tail. He was still a cocky fool and that would be his undoing.

"I can assure you that this will be more than a mere warm-up," said Sasuke as he walked forward. Naruto smirked.

"Being here," said Naruto as he looked around, "reminds me of the last time there was a fight on this bridge. Back to our first real mission together. Remember that Sasuke-teme?"

"I do," said Sasuke as a smile appeared on his face. "You were actually less than a hindrance than I thought you were going to be."

"Look who's talking Mr. Human-Pin-Cushion," said Naruto in a mocking tone.

"And it would have been you had I not taken that blow," said Sasuke. Naruto scratched his chin for a moment.

"Well, you got me there," he said as he bit his thumb. "But I'm different from what I was like back then." Naruto then began to make several hand signs. Seeing this, Sasuke also bit his thumb and then smeared it on the seal on his arm. Then together they yelled, "**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**"

Everyone stopped their fighting as the smoke appeared on the bridge. Everyone turned to look and watch as the kage level shinobi on the bridge got serious. The first thing everyone saw was Manda. Its body was wrapped around the bridge and Sasuke was standing on top of its head. Then, the smoke cleared on Naruto's summon. Sasuke stood ready to fight the giant toad he had seen Naruto use to fight Gaara all those years ago. And…

"**Here's Loki! Where are the girls?**" yelled the giant red fox causing everyone to face fault.

"We're here to fight," yelled Naruto from upon the fox's head. "Could you focus on the situation?"

"**Maybe if we were fighting women in bra's and panties**," said Loki as his nose began to drip blood.

-x-

"I like this guy," said Jiraiya as he looked at the fox.

"This is serious!" yelled Tsunade as she hit her old teammate over the head. She then turned her attention back onto Naruto. "What does he think he's doing with a fox summon anyways?"

"I have no idea," answered Jiraiya as he became serious. "But this would explain why Gamabunta felt the connection between them break. We both assumed he was dead, but I guess that was our fault for not double checking."

-x-

"**You**," hissed Manda as it glared at Loki. The snake opened his mouth and bared its fangs at the fox. "**How dare you sssssssshow your face in front of me after what you did?**"

"**Still sore about the Spice Girls thing I see**," said Loki with a grin. "**I wonder if I'll ever be able to top that one.**" Manda looked upward at Sasuke.

"**Boy**," he said. "**I could care less about any sacrifices. Just as long as we skin this damn kitsune!**"

"Very well," said Sasuke as he looked at Loki. Then, the fox boss began to chuckle.

"**Let's make this quick**," said Loki. "**And I know just how to do it**." Naruto's eyes widened when he heard that.

"You're not planning…" began Naruto. However, before Naruto could finish, a cloud of smoke appeared around them.

"A smokescreen?" asked Sasuke aloud. Slowly, an image began to appear. Sasuke braced himself for the worst. And then he heard Loki's voice call out the name of his attack.

"**Oiroke no Jutsu!**" The smoke was now clear and Sasuke was staring at a giant, naked, red haired girl. Her long hair went all the way down to her butt and on her face were whisker marks. Sasuke then did the only thing her could do: face fault! He then slowly got back up as his eye began to twitch.

"What the hell is that?!" demanded Sasuke.

"**Just the jutsu that took down most of your army**," said Loki as 'she' gave Sasuke a wink. Sasuke turned around and saw to his horror that the perverted fox was right. Upon seeing that jutsu, nearly ever shinobi he had fainted with blood dripping out of their noses. In fact, he had lost so many shinobi that Jiraiya felt comfortable enough to take out his old notepad and begin to write down what he was seeing with tears in his eyes.

However Inari, who had stayed near Naruto, had ended up in-between Loki's legs. So he was down on the ground as well.

"And they called that a useless jutsu," said Naruto's voice from behind Sasuke causing Sasuke's eyes to widen. Sasuke was frozen in place as a bead of sweet raced down his cheek. There was no way Naruto could have jumped off his summoned creature and onto his without making a sound. At the very least Manda would have made some noise. Slowly Sasuke turned around and sure enough, there was Naruto with his fist pulled back ready to punch Sasuke in the face. Then, without warning, Naruto sent his fist flying right at Sasuke so fast that Sasuke didn't have time to block or more. The Emo king went sailing off Manda and onto the ground.

For a moment, Sasuke just laid there. No one rushed over to help him, all anyone did (at least, the one's who were still awake) was staring in shock at what had just happened. Then, Sasuke slowly crawled to his feet. He then turned and stared at Naruto with hate in his eyes. He also saw the reason Manda didn't help as well. He was staring at Loki with his jaw open in a daze.

"How dare," breathed Sasuke. "How dare…HOW DARE YOU?!" Sasuke was now livid. Naruto was making a fool out of him. This wasn't a fight; this was a joke to him. And the fact that he was doing it with such ease was really pissing him off like nothing else in his life. Sasuke then dismissed his snake and watched as Naruto landed on the ground.

"Looks like I don't need you anymore," said Naruto to Loki without turning to face him.

"**You sure?**" asked Loki as he returned to his kitsune form.

"Ya," said Naruto. "Sasuke has improved a great deal, but his skill level is defiantly below mine. I should be able to take him down without using any more jutsus. Pity really, I was hoping our favorite jutsus would clash once more. But, that would waste my chakra and I need as much of it as possible for when they arrive."

"**Fine**," said Loki with a sigh. "**But next time, make sure there are more pretty girls that aren't fully dressed!**" And with that, the boss of the kitsunes vanished in a cloud of smoke.

"Why me?" moaned Naruto. "Every time I summon him, all he really wants to do if goof around. For once could he please focus on what's important? Is that to much to ask for?"

"I would worry more about yourself right now dobe," said Sasuke. Naruto turned to face him and looked right into his eyes.

Then next thing Naruto knew was something moving on his chest. Naruto looked down as Sakura's face grew out of it, looking at him in disgust.

"You told me that Sasuke would never betray the village," she said. "You promised me that you would make sure Sasuke came back. But he just left again. Why didn't you come back later and help bring him back?"

The next thing that happened was an immense on his right hand. Naruto looked down and saw the Byakugan staring at him.

"You broke your promise to me," said Neji's voice. "You promised me that you would become Hokage and change the Hyuuga clan. But all you did was run away. You coward."

Suddenly, the leg portion of Naruto's face began to flack away. It was then replaced with Sasuke's in his level two form.

"You couldn't even keep your best friend from going to Orochimaru," said Sasuke. "You may have stopped me once, but I got there eventually. And I became stronger than I ever could have if I had stayed in that pathetic village. You know it's true because the same thing happened to you. You abandoned the village and became more powerful than ever. Deep down, we are the same." Then, to Sasuke's surprise, Naruto smiled. "What's so funny?"

"That you think that I'm still the same old Naruto," he replied. Suddenly there was a large flash of chakra from Naruto that dispelled the genjutsu. Sasuke just stared at Naruto in shock.

"How can that be?" demanded Sasuke. "You were never any good with genjutsu!"

"You are correct," said Naruto. "I was never any good at genjutsu because I needed precise chakra control in order to perform even the weakest one. But like I said, I'm not the same Naruto you used to know." Now, Naruto began to slowly walk over to Sasuke. "Over the years, I trained as hard as I could with my new friends. I began to make my weaknesses my strengths. Trust me when I say I've had a lot of experiences with genjutsu users. My wife does the same thing whenever I piss her off."

"Damn you to…" began Sasuke. However, he was cut off as Naruto suddenly appeared next to him while at the same time punching him in the gut. Sasuke doubled over while clutching his stomach in pain.

"Like I said," continued Naruto. "I'm not the same person you used to know. I have been through much more than you can ever imagine. And because of that, along with the fact that I have a lot of people to protect, my strength far surpasses you."

"How?" asked Sasuke as he went on all fours. "How could having people to protect make you this strong?"

"Simple," said Naruto as he looked down on Sasuke. "You need to be stronger to protect others. Sacrificing others isn't being strong; it's taking the easy way out. That is the reason I'm so strong."

"You mean we are so strong," said a voice that sounded just like Naruto's. Everyone turned their heads and saw a second Naruto. Only this one was wearing a black t-shirt and baggy black pants. Around his waist was a red sash and from his left shoulder to his right hip was a chain. There was also another chain wrapped around his right arm. He had red slit eyes and his whisker marks were much darker. "It seems like you got my message."

"It took you long enough," said Naruto as he turned to face his evil double. The other Naruto shrugged.

"We ran into some boat troubles," he replied. "I hope you got a good warm-up. Because this is the part were we finish it once and for all. This will be the moment I free myself of all the people I hate. You, Sasuke, Sakura, Lee, Tsunade, Ero-sennin, and everyone one else that you ever cared for." Naruto sighed.

"Let's just get this over with Ukyo," said Naruto.

-x-

Profile

Name: Loki

Rank: Fox boss

Age: unknown

Fur color: red

Eye color: light blue

Obsessions: women and pranks

In the world of summoned creatures, Loki reigns as the master prankster. Unlike the other bosses, he is playful and carefree. He doesn't mind being summoned if you have failed his test as long as you intend to go peeking on girls. Because of this, many of the other summoned creatures look at him with a very low opinion for lusting after human females. However, that doesn't stop them from talking to him for whatever reason.

Manda has a colorful history with Loki. One time, at a gathering of summoned creatures, Loki tricked Manda into singing Spice Girls songs in front of everyone one and making the snake a laughing stock for several years. But it didn't end there. Later, Loki and one of Manda's daughter's henged into humans to get drunk at a tavern. They ended up having sex and Loki eventually became a father. Loki's son,Jörmungandr, is now next in line to become the new snake boss due to his overwhelming size and strength. This has angered Manda to no end because Jörmungandr is not pure blooded and is devoted to his father.

Loki also has another son and a daughter. His daughter and eldest child is a white fox named Hel. It is said that she has power over ice and can freeze the ground just by touching it. Loki's other son is Fenrir who is a wolf. Fenrir is a daddy's boy who is always kissing up to his father, which is odd when one witnesses it. Unlike Jörmungandr, Fenrir has no desire to become the next wolf boss because he fears he might one day have to fight his father.

Loki's test is rather simple. He only asks to be taught a jutsu that is worthy of a kitsune. This means that he wants a sneaky jutsu that he can use to pull pranks on people. Naruto met this requirement when he taught Loki the Oiroke no Jutsu.


	23. Chapter 23

I had the worst dream EVER! There I was at midnight, finally falling asleep, and I dreamed that I was in a movie theater. The movie started and it was Star War 7: The Return of Jar Jar. It was horrible! The dream me sat through the whole thing and when it was over the entire theater was filled with clones of that idiot. Then I woke up at twelve thirty and was afraid to fall asleep. CAN YOU BLAME ME?!

On a lighter note, it looks like Naruto is getting better at Sage chakra. Hopefully they'll start training him on some jutsus and stuff. When I told my brother about that, he said it was about time. He said that Naruto needs to learn more jutsus and he should have done what Sasuke did; figure out more way to use the Rasengan like Sasuke did the Chidori. He even tried giving me suggestions like putting little mini Rasengans on Naruto's knuckles.

Let's rock!

-x-

A wind swept through the area as the two identical shinobi stared at each other. Sasuke stared as well, unable to believe what he was seeing. Two Naruto's? Was this possible? At first, Sasuke had believed that it was Naruto's oldest trick in the book, the Kage Bunshin. Yet, something was off about the second Naruto. The eyes, the outfit, his manner of speaking, and the reaction of the first Naruto that was one of displeasure. Also, Naruto rarely ever made a single clone.

Sasuke then looked over to the other side of the bridge directly across from him and saw them. Three people were standing directly behind the second Naruto. The only female in the group looked like a Nara. She wore blue Chinese top and matching pants. She had black hair that was tied up in a ponytail and she stood about five inches shorter than Ukyo. Then there was a guy wearing rectangular sunglasses. He had long white hair went down to his hips that and was parted in the middle. He wore a red trench coat, black shirt and pants, and fingerless gloves. What Sasuke couldn't see was that on each of this man's finger were things that looked like suction cups. The final guy had long spiky blue hair that was slicked back with a total of fifteen spikes. He was wearing green camouflage suit, black boots, and fingerless gloves. His eyes were covered by sharp edged sunglasses.

Naruto then suddenly moved away from Sasuke and the other Naruto moved away from his party. They kept their eyes on each other as they moved to the center of the bridge. At the same time, the Leaf and Sand nins moved past the fainted Sound shinobi to get closer to Naruto. However, they stopped when they saw the second Naruto as well.

"A-am I seeing things?" asked Kiba aloud.

"We shouldn't interfere," said Gaara. "These two hate each other."

"How can you tell?" asked Neji.

"That one has the same eyes that I once had," said Gaara as he indicated towards the second Naruto. "He has the eyes of a killer who lives only for himself. He will do whatever it takes to prove his existence and will kill anyone who gets in his way."

"Gaara-kun," said Hinata quietly.

"He's right," said a voice from behind them. Everyone turned around and saw Shinja, Yuri, and Oninenshou. Yuri spoke again. "It would be best not to get between them right now. This is a personal fight between the Kitsune-sennin and Uyko of the Chika."

"Is that why you stayed?" asked Tsunade and she received nods. "Then tell me, did Naruto create…?"

"Like he could," interrupted Shinja. "It was my former master who created Uyko."

"Alright then," said Tsunade. "We'll remain here for the time being. Somehow I get the feeling that we would be more in the way if we even tried to help."

"But you're the Hokage," cried Konohamaru.

"I know that," said Tsunade. "But, I can sense their chakra. They have both far surpassed all of the Sannin back when we were in our prime." Tsunade then gulped. "And somehow I feel like even at my best, I couldn't defeat Naruto. And if this Uyko is Naruto's other half, then I couldn't take him down either."

"What's that supposed to mean?" demanded Asuma.

"I'll explain," said Shinja. "Uyko is a clone created by a jutsu called the Kinjutsu Ogi: Kage tame Jinniku no jutsu. He is like the Kage Bunshin; he is equal to the original in every way and knows everything that his original did when he was created. However, he has free will and will not go away unless he is completely killed. Clones created this way will always try to kill the original and try to replace them. I guess this is why the Uzumaki clan never put them to use."

-x-

"This brings me back," said Ukyo with a grin as he continued to move closer to the center of the bridge. "This is where we nearly killed for the first time." Ukyo then licked his lips. "Such a delicious memory."

"You're sick," said Naruto. They were now standing a few feet away from each other in the middle of the bridge. Above them, storm clouds raced across the sky and hide the sun from view. In the distance, the sound of thunder could be heard.

"You mean we are sick," said Ukyo. "We are the same person with the same memories and experiences. The only real difference is our opinions and delusions."

"We have long past the point when we were similar," said Naruto as his face hardened. "The simple truth of everything between us is that you're a cheap, half-assed knock off. And I will never be defeated by what I was in the past!" Ukyo's smile vanished for a moment and was replaced with a look of pure rage. Then, as quickly as it had come, it vanished and the smile returned.

"At least I stay on track with my goals and am true with myself," replied Ukyo. "You left your precious village to get that gaki back and by now I'm sure you have gotten him. So why are you still here? What lies have you told yourself to keep you in the forsaken land? Your duty to stop Sasuke? Your duty to stop me? That you have to help those who are important to you?" Naruto did not respond. "The answer is no to all of them. The truth is that you want one more shot for these asses to see you as more than a monster. That's the real reason you are here to stop me, because I can cement their beliefs that we are a demon that has come to destroy them! Which is what I shall do!"

Naruto said nothing as he moved closer to Ukyo. There was nothing left to say. But, what Naruto did do was punch the freak standing in front of him in the face. The force of the punch caused Ukyo to take several steps backwards. Then, slowly, Ukyo cupped his cheek.

"The truth hurts," said Ukyo as he winced in pain. "But it should be hurting you much more. Allow me to help!" Ukyo then moved to punch Naruto back, but Naruto read the attack and blocked the fist with his arm.

"Not on your copied life!" spat Naruto.

What happened next was too fast for most people to see. The two blondes began to punch and kick each other at amazing speeds. There was not art to these attacks, just the pure desire to damage the other as much as possible. They dodged whenever possible, but each dodge was very narrow. Ukyo was punched twice in the face while Naruto got a powerful blow to the gut. But, these wounds only caused them to push on harder.

-x-

Back with Sasuke, he was trying his best to watch the fight. Yet, even with his eyes, he was having a hard to keeping up. This angered the Emo greatly as his all powerful eyes were failing him when he needed them the most. But what angered him more was that Naruto had gotten much stronger than him. He, Sasuke Uchiha, should have no true rivals now after everything he had gone through.

"Danzo," said Sasuke suddenly. "Give it to me."

"That would not be wise," said Danzo. Sasuke spun his head around to glare at the war hawk.

"Just do it!" growled the Uchiha. Danzo nodded, knowing that Sasuke wouldn't budge on this issue. He then reached behind his back and then pulled out a small black case. He opened it and inside was a needle as well as a bottle with a neon blue liquid within it. This chemical had come from the Hidden Waterfall Village. Sasuke had started with that village first because he remembered the mission he once had there. Once he had taken control, Sasuke sent scientists there to study the tree which produced the strange water that the leader of the Waterfall shinobi had died to protect. After a while, the Sound scientists were able to refine the water and improve its performance by three hundred percent. However, it was not without side effects. Each time a person takes it their life was cut in half and it only lasted for a short amount of time. Sasuke had only used it once to barely defeat Salamander Hanzo.

Danzo injected the liquid into the needle. He then hesitated for a moment before sticking the needle into Sasuke's arm. Now they all had to wait for the chemical to kick in.

-x-

Naruto's last punch to Ukyo sent him flying backwards several yards. However, Ukyo landed on his feet and skidded to a halt. When he stopped, Naruto notice that Ukyo's hand and arm were glowing blue. Then Ukyo yelled, "**Juutsume!**" and a blue chakra claw came flying at Naruto. Naruto's own arm and hand began to glow blue as the claw made its way closer. When it was in striking range, Naruto yelled "**Juutsume!**" as well and slashed at Ukyo's attack causing it to be canceled.

"I think you have forgotten that the Juutsume is at its most powerful when used at close range," said Naruto.

"Don't get so cocky," said Ukyo. "**Bikoutai: Tatsumaki!**" With that, Ukyo's tail turned grey as the wind mode was activated. Ukyo then shot towards Naruto through the air and grabbed him by the waist. Then, Ukyo shot up into the air and once he was high enough he began to loop around in the air. Once he had gotten the amount of momentum that he had wanted, Ukyo flung Naruto to the ground. Naruto, however, yelled out "**Bikoutai: Kaiyou!**" and his tail looked like it was made of water. When Naruto hit the ground his body went spat, literally. Naruto's entire body had turned into water on impact and had spread out. Soon, the water began to gather and Naruto looked like his old self once again.

Naruto then looked at Ukyo, who was still in the air, and saw that his evil double had pulled out some kunai with exploding tags on them. A moment later those kunai were shot at Naruto. Naruto yelled "**Bikoutai: Kai!**" and then yelled "**Juutsume!**" A blue claw of chakra was sent towards the kunai and on impact there was an explosion. Naruto was about to launch another one when he heard, "**Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu!**" Naruto turned his head and saw a large fireball coming right at him. Naruto quickly jumped out of the way.

When the flames died, both Naruto and Ukyo looked upon Sasuke in his level two form. Somehow, he seemed much stronger than before. Ukyo landed on the ground release the wind tail.

"Hey teme," said Ukyo. "Don't you know that three's a crowd?" Sasuke scowled at Ukyo as his Chidori activated. He pointed it at Ukyo and then several senbon needles shot out of it and flew towards Ukyo and hit him in the chest. A moment later, Ukyo's body was replaced with a log.

"Kawarimi, eh," muttered Sasuke. "Your luck just ran out." Sasuke then unsheathed his sword and charged at Naruto this time. Naruto yelled, "**Bikoutai: Hyouzan!**" and created an ice sword. Naruto then positioned the blade of ice to defend himself, however Sasuke's sword cut right through Naruto's. Seeing this, Naruto pulled back just in time to keep the blade from slicing his head off. Sasuke looked at him impassively. "That was the wrong way to stop my sword."

"Shit," swore Naruto as he leapt back to get some distance from Sasuke. However, Sasuke continued to charge at Naruto, swinging his blade with all his skill to try to end Naruto's life. Then, without warning, Sasuke felt a chain wrap around his leg and he fell down to the ground. The Uchiha then turned his head and saw that Ukyo was holding the other end of the chain.

"He's mine asshole!" swore Ukyo. "**Bikoutai: Kazan!**" With that, the fire tail activated and the chain began to turn red and then it was on fire. Sasuke screamed in pain as he quickly cut the chain with one swing of his sword. At the saw time, Naruto had released his Bikoutai and yelled, "**Juutsume!**" The claw of chakra sailed right over Sasuke and hit Ukyo on the chest, sending him flying backwards. Sasuke then managed to stand but Naruto yelled, "**Otekidan!**" Naruto's tail pointed in the direction of Sasuke and the fur became as hard as needles. They then shot at the Emo in the dozens. Sasuke moved his hand like wings to block the attack, but still gritted his teeth as they pierced his flesh.

Naruto then let out a sigh of relief as he watched Sasuke fall to the ground. He then began to return his attention to Ukyo when he heard a disgusting sound. He looked at Sasuke and saw that his mouth was open and another Sasuke was coming out of it. Moments later Sasuke stood over the skin of himself.

"You don't have what it takes to beat me," said Sasuke as he charged up a Chidori with black bolts coming out of it.

"We'll see," said Naruto simply as he formed a Rasengan. They both stared at each other for a moment and then charged, attacks ready to kill.

"**Habataku Chidori!**"

"**Fūton: Rasengan!"**

With that the two attacks collided and began to fight for dominance. Naruto pushed as hard as he could with his while Sasuke did the same. However, Naruto's began to overpower Sasuke's. Sasuke watched in shock as Naruto's jutsu destroyed his and then what was left of it hit him. The damage was only a fifth of what it would have been if it had hit him directly, but it still sent him spiraling several dozen yards away towards the village. Once Sasuke landed, Naruto raced over to him and picked him up by his arm.

"It's over Sasuke," said Naruto. Sasuke opened an eye and then let a small grin slip. A moment later, Sasuke activated his Chidori Nagashi causing Naruto to scream in pain as he felt his body begin to go numb. Then…

"**Raiton: Raikouago no Jutsu!**" Sasuke stopped his attack when he heard that attack and saw a pair of jaws made of lightning coming right at him. Both he and Naruto tried to get out of the way, but it was too late. Naruto got a dose of more electricity and Sasuke got a taste as well.

"He he," laughed Ukyo as he saw them both on the ground. "Looks like I win. Pity, I wanted to try out some of my new attacks on that bastard." With a grin he began to move towards Naruto's body when he heard someone yell, "**Doton: Koketsu!**" Then around Ukyo appeared small spikes made of rock and cement from the bridge. Ukyo didn't move, knowing what would happen if he did. Slowly he turned his head around and saw Naruto standing behind him.

"I don't go down that easily," said Naruto with a grin.

"I see," said Ukyo. "You used a combination of Kawarimi and Kage Bunshin to escape and make it look like you were still down."

"Guess you forgot how I think," said Naruto.

"Not really," said Ukyo right before he went poof. Naruto blinked at what he saw and realized that Ukyo had used Kage Bunshin as well. Could a clone use that jutsu? Apparently they could. Naruto then snapped out of his shock and turned in time to see both Ukyo and Sasuke, who had gotten back on his feet, charge him at the same time. Naruto quickly created one of his special Rasengans and tossed it in the air yelling, "**Koushou Rasengan!**" The Rasengan the exploded in a bright flash, blinding everyone who had their eyes open.

"My eyes!" yelled Sasuke as he stopped and covered them with both hands. It had hurt him the worse due to his Sharingan being activated.

"Damn it," cursed Ukyo who had also stopped to rub him eyes.

"I hope you liked that teme," said Naruto. "I created that jutsu in cause we ever fought again. I figured that the best way to beat you would be to take away the thing you relied on the most." Sasuke was about to say something until he felt someone kick him in his chest. "Just stay down until I'm done with Ukyo. Then I'll make sure that you _stay_ in the Leaf Village."

"Still thinking soft," said Ukyo as his sight began to return. "That's what makes you so weak!"

"Shut it," said Naruto. "I think it's time to finish this." Ukyo smiled at Naruto evilly.

"As much as I would love that," said Ukyo, "I have other plans. This was just a friendly hello from me to you. When we do finish this, it will be in that crap hole we used to call home. **Bikoutia: Yami!**" As soon as he said that, a shadow covered him and he was gone. Naruto turned his attention back to the rest of the Chika, but they had vanished as well.

"At least I get to take Sasuke-teme in," said Naruto with a sigh. No sooner had he said this when Tobi appeared over Sasuke, who had gone back to his original form after Naruto kicked him, and put the Emo king on his shoulder.

"Sorry but you can't," said Tobi in a childish manner. "We have to go help an old lady cross the street! See ya later!" With that, Tobi simply vanished along with Sasuke. Naruto turned around and saw that most of those who had come with Sasuke had vanished as well in some way or another.

"You have got to be KIDDING ME!" screamed Naruto as he flung his fists into the air.

-x-

It was about a half an hour later and things were going pretty well, all things considered. Sasuke had left most of his Jounin to be captured and they were now beginning confined and having suspension seals placed on them. Tsunade was checking everyone for injuries and was now treating Naruto.

"Stop moving around," said an annoyed Tsunade who was getting tired of Naruto's squirming.

"Hey, I can't help it," said Naruto. "I guess I still have a lot of energy left." Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"That's one thing I don't think you'll ever run out of," she said. Then she was silent for a moment. "Thank you for coming."

"Hey, I had to come," said Naruto. "If I didn't I'd be accused of abandoning the elderly for the rest…ouch!" Naruto then began to rub the large bump on his head that Tsunade had given him.

Elsewhere, Konohamaru was helping with this and that when he saw something that caused him to freeze. Hanabi was talking to Inari. And it wasn't like she normally spoke to people. Her hands were behind her back and she was smiling as she talked. Konohamaru watched for a bit and then saw her laughing at something Inari said. Konohamaru then moved in closer as tick marks appeared on his head.

"That's so interesting," Konohamaru heard Inari say. "I can't believe she did that!"

"She did," said Hanabi with a light laugh. "I don't think she'll ever live it down." It was then that she noticed Konohamaru. "Kono-kun, do you need something?"

"Just making sure everything is alright," lied Konohamaru while trying to sound casual. "So, what were you to talking about?"

"Nothing really," said Inari.

"Didn't sound like nothing," said Konohamaru with a snot.

"Were you spying on us?" demanded Hanabi as her eyes narrowed.

"N-No, of course not," said Konohamaru. "Why would I spy on you?"

"Well," said Inari. "You might think that I was making the moves on your girlfriend." Konohamaru's and Hanabi's faces turned bring red in less than two seconds.

"She's not my girlfriend," said Konohamaru quickly.

"Really," said Inari. "That's great. I'm going to be heading down to the Leaf Village with sensei to help you all out. So maybe while I'm there maybe you and me could get something to eat Hanabi-san."

"W-Well," stammered Hanabi as she glanced at Konohamaru. She would have rather gone out with him, but maybe she could make Konohamaru jealous. "I'd love to."

"Great," said Inari as the two of them began to walk away from Konohamaru who had turned to stone. "Can I call you Hanabi-chan?"

-x-

Naruto was the last to leave the area. He stood alone in a secluded area. Before him stood the graves of two shinobi that he once knew.

"I promise I'll return your sword to you," said Naruto to the grave. "Then you can rest in peace once again." With that, Naruto turned around and began to prepare himself for a far greater fight; telling his wife they would be staying for a while!

-x-

Name: Oninenshou

Rank: Inoshishi-sennin

Age: 39

Hair: unknown

Eye color: red

Obsessions: his dolly

Oninenshou was once the leader of the Inoshishi bandits. Before that, he was a simple farmer with a wife and a one year old daughter named Rei. However, the Emperor in his homeland decided to fight fire with fire when dealing with the bandit gangs. He decreed that ever family submit one member of their family who had a bloodline or anything close to one. Oninenshou tried to speak out and was made an example of. Soldiers burned down his house with his wife and child still inside and force him to watch. Then they burned him alive. However, he didn't die.

After that, Oninenshou decided to get back at the Emperor and join up with the Inoshishi bandits. He worked his way to the top and soon became its leader. Once he was in control, he began to break children out of their training camps and did his best to help them. Some, like Choukan, stayed with him while others went off on their own. This continued until his defeat at the hands of Naruto Uzumaki. After that, he built his own shinobi village.

To this day, Oninenshou is covered in bandages. He also carries with him the doll he was going to give to his daughter, talking to it as if Rei were still alive inside that doll. Many people who do not know this about him believe that he is insane. Maybe he is. He is also known for being a little hot headed, so watch out for what mood he is in.

His relationship with the other sennin is interesting to say the least. He hates Shinja and thinks that Yuri is hot. As for Naruto, he has mixed feelings. He sees Naruto as someone who fights for justice and is merciful. However, Naruto sent many of his people, many of whom were children that he saved, to jail.

Oninenshou uses iron sand.

Jutsu list:

Kyoshi Denrei: Saw tooth Runner: Oninenshou's iron sand takes the form of a buzz saw that he can control in the air.

Yoroi no Satetsu: Iron Sand Battle Armor: Armor that Oninenshou can place on himself or on his summoned creature. The armor comes with blades attached and is made of the iron sand.

Katon: Butaka no jutsu: Fire Release: Hog Fire: Not one of Oninenshou's jutsu's, but his summoned creature, Setsuen. The Inoshishi boss lets out a massive burst of flames.

Katon: Hyokaidan: Melting Bullets: Combining the Katon: Butaka no jutsu with the iron sand lets a person launch iron liquid bullets at their opponent. The bullets then harded on impact making it harder for the opponent to move.


	24. Chapter 24

Sorry for the long overdue update. I just had a bad case of writers block when it came to this story. I mean, I have it all planned out, but none of the details. So every time I went to write this I just stared at the screen. So I went to some of my other stories. BEMB: Path to Jonin hasn't been getting many reviews so I'm a bit down on that as well.

Well it seems that Naruto is kicking ass in the manga. Already he has taken down two of Pain's bodies and is about to use his secret jutsu. I wonder what will happen to Danzo when it is all over. I mean, people will wonder why he vanished and waited underground until the fighting stopped. Also, even if Naruto didn't show up, does he really expect people to follow him after doing nothing to help the village in its most dire moment?

Let's rock!

-x-

Screaming filled the tunnels within the Hidden Sound Village. Unlike the other Hidden Villages, the Sound was located completely underground. And unless you knew where the entrance was located, you were stuck digging random holes in the ground until you were caught and killed. But now, all a person had to do was to listen closely and they could hear the cries of pure pain that seemed to be coming from underground.

The source of these screams was that of Sasuke Uchiha. He sat on his thrown while holding his chest with both hands. The side effects of the drug he had taken were now on him fully and had him at his mercy. But the last time he had taken them, it didn't hurt nearly this bad. His veins were on fire, his vision blurred, hot blades rammed into his legs, and other such things were only a small fraction of what the emo was feeling right now.

In the room with him were Danzo and two guards. Danzo stood in front of his student turned master with a look of total neutrality. The guard's expressions were hidden by their masks, but they were both wondering why they had to be here.

"It hurts!" screamed Sasuke as he coughed up some blood.

"I did try to warn you Sasuke-sama," said Danzo. "You should have waited until after Uzumaki had finished that fight and then taken him out when he was weak. Now thanks to your recklessness, you have at most two years left to live."

"Shut up," snarled Sasuke as he raised his head. "I'm not going to die anytime soon. There is always _that_ jutsu."

"If you are referring to Orochimaru's immortality jutsu then I would advise against it," said Danzo. "You would lose your Sharingan. Then you would be stuck switching from body to body every three years."

"That isn't true," said Sasuke. "I have Ochi. And I have two years to produce a few more children. It will be a cold day in hell before I give up my eyes!"

Upon hearing this, the guard's eyes widened. Sasuke was willing to sacrifice his own son? Did he want to live so much that he truly didn't care about anyone else?

"Well, well," said a cold, yet familiar voice. "Is little Sasuke-kun scared of dying? Afraid he'll burn in hell for all the things he's done?" The turned towards the door, but before they could do anything else a chain shot right through the first guard like a sword. The other guard turned his head towards his impaled comrade as the chain continued to move and impaled him as well from the back. Then it retracted back to the shadowy halls where it came from and the two guards fell to the ground dead. A second later, Ukyo walked into the room while licking the blood covered chain that was around his arm. "Such weak protection. I would have thought you wouldn't make the same mistakes as Orochimaru-teme seeing as you were the one who killed him."

"How did you find this place?" demanded Danzo.

"Sorry," said Ukyo. "But I don't answer to the hired help. Why don't you take these bodies out of here while those of us with power have a nice chat?"

"What are you doing here?" demanded Sasuke. Ukyo gave a grin that sent a chill down Sasuke's spin. It was so much like Naruto's, but with a hint of madness.

"Well I'm here to turn your frown upside down," said an amused Ukyo. Sasuke snorted. "Don't believe me? Well then that's your loss. I guess then you're not interested in finding more Uchiha's for the immortality jutsu." With that, Ukyo turned towards the door and began to walk towards it.

"Wait," said Sasuke suddenly. Ukyo stopped and turned back to face Sasuke. "What are you offering and why?"

"I have come to offer many things," said Ukyo. "For example, I have a plan that will help you defeat Naruto and take over that hell hole of a village. I know where to find more members of the Uchiha clan as well as so many others. I can also give you a list containing all of Naruto's friends and their abilities. In other words, you just struck gold."

"But what do you want in return?" growled Danzo.

"What do I want?" repeated Ukyo. "I just need some information on some summoning scrolls. I want Naruto to die, even if it's not by my hands. I want the Leaf Village to burn to the ground so I can piss on its ashes. I want the satisfaction of knowing that the people in that village lost everything!" By this point, Ukyo was yelling at the top of his lungs. Madness could be seen clearly in his bloodshot eyes.

At that point, Danzo took a step backwards. This man in front of them was clearly insane, mad with rage. He could see it clearly in his eyes that seemed to have flames dancing within them. From his tone, he cared for nothing nor did he believe in anything. He lived for the sole propose of killing and destroying. He wasn't a shinobi; he was a demon out of control.

"What you are offering is very generous," said Sasuke. "Yet I have to wonder why. On the bridge you seemed like that baka's equal. But then you just left after only a few minutes of fighting. There is something that you aren't telling me."

"Not too shabby," said Ukyo with a grin. "You are right, in terms of power I am nearly Naruto's equal. However, if he had summoned Loki then I would have lost. Therefore, I need to acquire a summoning contract before I can face him once again; and not just me, but my allies as well. Yet there is a chance that Naruto and his allies, or friends as he calls them, will get in our way. So I need someone to keep him busy."

"You you just want to use us as pawns," said Danzo. "We will never do something so degrading!"

"Even if it meant losing the only chance you will have to defeat Naruto?" asked Ukyo as he stared at Sasuke. "I know that's what you truly want right now. That and to kill Itachi. Naruto has humiliated you in the past and your own brother has more interest in him. You hate him with every fiber of your being. But at the same time, he is the only person you have ever been close enough to call friend. If you listen to me you will be able to kill him and then gain the true power of the Uchiha clan. And then the pawn will become a king!"

"Very well," said Sasuke. Danzo turned to Sasuke in utter surprise. "Let's hear your plan."

-x-

At the same time, Tsunade was in a meeting were everything seemed to be going right. After everyone returned from the Great Naruto Bridge, Naruto had set up a meeting with her and the other Sennin from Celestial. There hadn't been a change of heart, but there had been a change in interest due to the appearance of Ukyo and the rest of the Chika. And from what Tsunade had heard from the hospital, even Mai felt that they had to act quickly and stop them.

"Tsunade-sama," said Yuri, "please understand that we are in a bind. The presence of the Chika here means only one thing; they are looking for summoning contracts."

"This is most troubling," said Oninenshou. "We have always held the edge in battle with our ability to summon. It would be a complete disaster if we allowed them to return to Celestial with that power."

"Yet we are at a disadvantage," said Shinja. "Trying to find them here will be like looking for a needle in a haystack. The small number we brought with us will not be able to search all of Elemental in order to find them in time. We also don't know the area or have any of the local currency. Therefore we need to ask for assistance."

"I think we can work something out," said Tsunade. "In exchange for allowing you and your people to stay here as well as helping you locate the Chika we would ask only one thing in return. I would like to ask that you help in defeating the Sound. From what I saw on the bridge, Sasuke was no match for Naruto. I'm sure that with your help we can defeat him once and for all as well as the rest of the Akatsuki with little trouble."

Tsunade watched as the four Sennin exchanged glances and nodded silently. She knew it was wrong, but she secretly thanked the Chika for coming. Their arrival had allowed her to make a deal with Naruto and his allies. A deal that would allow them to stay in the village. And if things went well, she might be able to form an alliance with them after this was over. That way, she would be able to keep in contact with Naruto after he left. While what she really wanted was Naruto to return to the village even though she knew that wouldn't happen. He was the leader of his own village and was happy. So, for now, this would have to do.

"Tsunade-sama," said Yuri after several moments. "We do have several issues that give us pause to agree. For example, what happened in the Kitsune Village. After the Kitsune-Sennin pardoned your shinobi and allowed them to leave, he was repaid by having one of them kidnap his son and sister. How do we know this isn't a plan to get use to lower our guard so you can rob from us?"

"Rest assured that isn't the case," said Tsunade. "They acted without my approval or knowledge. All of those who have wronged you have been taken into custody and punished."

"We are not just concerned about that," said Oninenshou. "We are also aware of how this village treats its own and not just Uzumaki-sama. We know that you have allowed the Hyuuga clan to brand their members with the Bird Cage Seal. Then there is the way this village worships the Uchiha, or more specifically the Sharingan. The villagers here might 'urge' you to keep Mai Uzumaki here while trying to drive away her family.

"It is true that at one time we were leaders of some of the most powerful bandit gangs in the world. However, those days are long over. We have all done our part to atone for our pasts and to forbid most of the things that we once did without a second thought. So please understand why we are hesitating to join up with you."

"I do understand what you are saying," said Tsunade. "You have no reason to trust us. You have issues about how some of the things are done around here. But at the same time, we can't trust you. As you yourself admitted, you once committed horrible crimes. You fought with each other for control of territory and took any advantage you could get. But, when the time came, you set aside your differences and mistrusts to defeat a common enemy. What I am asking here today is that we do that once again, put aside our differences and join forces to defeat our common enemies." At that, Naruto let out a small smile.

"You always did have a way with words baa-chan," said Naruto, speaking for the first time since the meeting began. "Well, I'd say we're done here. Later!" With that, Naruto went poof leaving everyone to stare at his now empty seat.

"D-Don't tell me he sent a kage bunshin in his place?" asked Tsunade as tic marks appeared all over her face. The other Sennin had looks of confusion on their face, but nodded. "NARUTO!!!"

-x-

"Did you guys hear something?" asked Sakura.

"Nope," replied Naruto as he finished receiving all the information about the meeting from his clone. The real Naruto had been sitting in a restaurant along with Mai, Zanku, the Hyuuga sisters, Héng Wǔ, Choukan, Yoen, Haran, Sakura, Lee, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Temari, Gaara, Hinata, Kankuro, Kiba, Shino, and Yugito. Ayame was babysitting all the kids with the help of Itachi, Kisame, and Deidara. So far they had been just retelling old stories and laughing at how inexperienced they used to be. That was until Sakura heard Tsunade's voice. "But I have a feeling that we are going to be here for a while. At least until we have taken care of the Chika."

Upon hearing this, Haran let out a sigh of relief. Ever since his son had returned to the village, he had been trying to find the right time to tell him who he really was. So far Haku hadn't said anything which gave him time. But the hardest thing was hearing about all the things his son had done. Sure, he was proud as hell with his son. But at the same time it tore him up inside because he had to do it without him. All the times it should have been him teaching his son but instead it was others.

"I still say we should have gone over to the Sand Village," said Mai. "From what Gaara-sama has told us the people over there have done a one eighty and are now a lot more accepting."

"That's true," said Gaara. "But with the sand storms and intense heat, it would be unwise to bring your babies there so soon after being born. Also, there are more shinobi here so it would be safer in case of an enemy attack."

"Well maybe we still don't trust those Leaf fuckers," said Zanku. "Ah, no offence to those present."

"None taken," said Haran. "But at least here you know what to expect. Here you know how the people will treat you while you have only an idea on how you will be treated elsewhere. If you go to the Sand Village, there might be some who still hold some resentment towards people like Kazekage-sama and your group. Or one of those smiling faces might be a spy or traitor who is just waiting for the right moment."

Gaara sighed."I won't deny that there aren't cases like that," he said. "But they are very rare. That's why I always have several members of ANBU watch my own children while I'm in the office and Hinata is off on a mission."

"I'm sorry," said Naruto as he stared at Haran. "But who are you again? You seem familiar somehow."

All eyes were now on Haran. The Leaf shinobi knew who he was and his relationship with Naruto. They could all see him begin to sweat at the fear of telling Naruto who he really was.

"Well," began Haran. "You see, ah, I'm…how do I put this?"

"He's just a guy who knew the Yondaime," said Sakura. "We've worked in the last couple of years so he gets invited to things like this sometimes." While Sakura said this, she gave Haran a look that said 'not yet'.

"Yeah," said Haran as he scratched the back of his head. "I knew him pretty well actually. I was dating his sister and…"

"Really?" asked Naruto before Sakura could kick Haran to shut up. "Well then, I've got a question that I've been wondering for years now. Since you knew him, you might be able to answer it."

"Sure," replied Haran with a smile. "Shoot."

"Why did the Yondaime seal the Kyuubi inside me and then leave me to rot in this hellhole?" asked Naruto. Haran sweat dropped as he realized that they were back to square one.

"Naruto, I'm sure the Yondaime had his reasons and didn't feel the need to share them," said Sakura quickly. "Now stop grilling the poor, old, _stupid_ man and let's just continue having a good time."

"Yeah," said Kiba. "You're killing the good mood here."

Naruto eyed everyone and then let out a sigh. They had a point, this was a getting back together party and here he was getting all serious. Besides, he'd have other chances to talk with Haran. So he could afford to let him go for now. Mai, however, seemed to be a different story.

"You seem to be covering for him," she said as she eyed Sakura. "I think your helping him hide a secret that has something to do with my husband. And I don't like it!"

"D-Don't you think you're over thinking things," said Sakura as she began to get a little nervous. "I would never do anything to hurt Naruto." Mai leaned back into her chair and sighed.

"There is nothing that I hate worse than being lied to," said Mai. "I still find it hard to believe that Naruto had feeling for such a sneaky, useless, weakling." At that moment, everything become totally quite. The only sound that was heard was Choji eating faster as they all watched what could be the cat fight of the century.

"What's that supposed to mean?" demanded Sakura as she stood up. "You don't know anything about me!"

"I know a lot more than you think," said Mai as she stood up to meet Sakura's gaze. "You have a good mind, from what I'm told at least, but you never really used it back when Naruto was your teammate. You had a talent for genjutsu, but you never went after that. Instead, you use gorilla like strength rather than that brain of yours."

"I'll have you know that I am a skilled medic-nin," said Sakura hotly. "I was trained under one of the greatest medical-nins in the world, Tsunade-sama. So I do know how to use my brain. And just so you know it was a lot of hard work and I didn't have a doujutsu to give me a hand! So get off my case princess!"

"Well I'm sorry," said Mai sarcastically. "But I can't help the way I was born. And besides, it's not like there were a bunch of hospitals that would teach anyone back when I was learning my medical skills. I had to take what I could get when I could get it! Got that, trainer bra?!"

Now there was a lot on tension as the two women stared at each other while lightning shot out of their eyes at each other. Naruto then did the dumbest thing in the world; he tried to break it up. For those of you who have never seen a cat fight, I have one warning for you. Never, under any circumstance, get in between them unless you have a death wish. Naruto learned that as he was punched by both girls through the wall. Then, when Naruto opened his eyes, he saw Asahi standing above him.

"Aniki," she said. "Can I talk to you in private?" Naruto looked over at the hole in the wall and saw that his wife and former teammate were now fighting inside a cloud of smoke. Not wanting to get involved again, he nodded.

-x-

"So what's up," asked Naruto. Both he and Asahi were now in Team 7's old teaming ground. Naruto was leaning against the same pole he had once been tied to as Asahi stood in front of him. He noted that she seemed nervous about something and hoped she wasn't coming to him asking about boys. Because if she was…he'd kill the bastard!

"Well," she said with a gulp. "I was just wondering how I did during the chunin exam. So I thought that you might be able to tell me if I passed."

"I'm sorry," said Naruto as his face went neutral. "But you didn't pass. Better luck next time."

"But why?" cried Asahi. "I'm one of the best genin in the village. You saw me out there, I did great! Aniki please!"

"Control yourself Asahi Uzumaki," said Naruto sternly. Asahi took a step back in shock. Naruto had never referred to her like that before in her life. "This is the decision of the examiners and the three other Sennin. I also happen to agree with them."

"Why then?" asked Asahi. "Why didn't I pass?"

"First off, you were more interested in showing off," said Naruto as he stared at her. As he did, Asahi felt as though he could burn a hole right through her at any moment. "Your first opponent was both weaker and dumber than you. Defeating him should have taken very little effort. Yet you still used two high leveled jutsus for no other reason than you could. In doing so you showed all of your other opponents what you knew and they would have used this information in case they had to fight you in the future. I can understand that you are proud of what you have accomplished at your age and you have every right to be. Yet, the chunin exam is more about strategy than who knows the best jutsu in order to decide who will make a good squad leader.

"That brings me to my second point. After using both jutsus you were drained of nearly all your chakra. You knew this and you still decided to continue with the exam. You should have quit."

"But you didn't," said Asahi. "You told me yourself about what happened when you took the exam. You said your chakra was all sealed up and you still kept going so I did what you did."

"Well you're not me!" said Naruto. Asahi now began to tear up.

"I hate you Aniki!" she yelled as she ran off. Naruto continued to lean against the pole while moving his hat so a shadow covered his face. This way, no one would be able to see the tears rolling down his face. He then looked over to a corner and let out a sigh.

"So he's going to handle it," said Naruto aloud. He then closed his eyes. "It's for the best."

-x-

"Stupid Aniki," muttered Asahi. She was now down the river. She was sitting as she watched the water flow downstream as she thought about what Naruto had told her. She just couldn't understand it. All her life he had told her that Uzumaki's never gave up no matter what happened. So what was he saying now, that she should give up because she wasn't really an Uzumaki?

Suddenly Asahi felt something cold next to her cheek. She looked over and saw the person her brother call Ero-sennin with a Popsicle.

"Take it," he said. "It'll make you feel better." Wordlessly, Asahi took it and began to lick it. "You know, I remember the last time me and that gaki had one of these. He had just finished completing the second level of his Rasengan training and boy was he thrown back by it. I swear the look on his face then was nothing compared to when I gave him that Popsicle. I had never seen anyone so happy." Jiraiya then let out a sigh. "I bet it's hard being told things from your older brother. Especially when it's things you don't want to hear."

"Then why?" asked Asahi.

"Because he loves you," was her answer.

"No he doesn't," said Asahi.

"Listen, I know you two are close," said Jiraiya. "And he's done a very good job at raising you. But Naruto doesn't have much experience with this kind of stuff. He never had an older brother or a father tell him about his flaws. But he did what he had to do to make sure you knew how serious he was about it. He wants only the best for you from the bottom of his heart. At that moment, he had to be the leader of your village and not your older brother."

"Are you sure?' asked Asahi as she looked at the old pervert.

"As sure as I'm am that you'll be a knock out when you get older," said Jiraiya. Just then Naruto appeared behind him and wacked him on the head.

"Don't say things like that to her!"

-x-

"So," said Ukyo as he finished telling Sasuke his plan. "Do we have a deal?"

"Of course we don't," said Danzo. "There is now way that anyone would ally themselves with the like of…" Danzo then stopped as cold steel pierced through his flesh. He looked behind him and saw Sasuke holding the blade.

"I like this plan," said Sasuke as he pulled the sword out of Danzo. "With it, I shall be more than just the ruler of the world. I will be God!"

-x-

Name: Asahi Uzumaki

Rank: genin

Age: 9

Hair: black

Eye color: lavender

Obsessions: being more like her brother

Asahi Uzumaki is the adopted sister of Naruto Uzumaki. She was born into the Hyuuga clan, but her parents, whose identities remain unknown, were murdered by a band of bandits. Her mother's last act was to shield her child by using her own body. Naruto arrived on the scene shortly after and took care of her. He had originally planned on looking for another Hyuuga family to take her in, but eventually he grew too attached to her.

Since they were on the road a lot and almost always in danger, Naruto decided to begin training Asahi as soon as she could walk. This accounts for her skills despite her age.

Like other women of the Hyuuga clan, Asahi is drawn to Naruto. While she doesn't love him like the others, at least not yet, she loves him like a brother and wishes to be just like him. In her eyes, her brother is an unbeatable force and the one person she can put all her trust in. Her main goal in life is to be the next Kitsune-Sennin.

Jutsu List:

Rasengan

Kaiten

Gentle First


	25. Chapter 25

Guess whose back? It's me, DarthValgaav in the flesh. Sorry it's been so long but it's been a weird time for me. This year I graduated, am looking for another job, and have started writing a real book. It's going to be a transported to another world but with a twist. If it gets punished I'll let you all know.

Before I begin, I have a couple of things to say about Naruto. First of all, Naruto won! Not only did he win, but he was able to do it with no one in the village becoming permanently dead! Now all he has to do is talk to Hinata about what she said because he had better not walk away from this! May Danzo burn in hell. I mean, he was the reason all this happened. If he had not made that deal with Hanzo, this might have never of happened. And if he had not had the Uchiha clan confined they would have never have tried a coup and then there would have been no need to kill them all. But since the only two people in that room who know about it side with Danzo and are old farts whose brains have gone mushy, no one will find out until it's too late. I hope the village revolts or something.

Let's rock!

-x-

Ukyo walked out of Sasuke's camber with a wicked grin on his face. They had been talking for hours about the plan and the sacrifices that would have to be made. All that was needed was for all of the pawns to fall into place. One of the other things that they had talked about was Mai. Sasuke had been intrigued when he had found out that Naruto had married an Uchiha. They had tossed around the idea of making her Sasuke's new body as well as making sure that Naruto was around to witness it. In the end, they left it as a maybe. Sasuke wanted to make sure that he would have plenty of Uchiha vessels for him and a female body wouldn't cut it. But he still liked the idea of Naruto suffering like that.

Ukyo stopped in his tracks as a small boy came out of a room. The boy turned to face Ukyo and gave him a sick grin. Now, this wasn't the kind of sick smile you give when you tell people your fine while you're at the hospital. No, this was the kind of smile that makes you feel like maggots are crawling all over your skin. But Ukyo smile right back at him as Kabuto entered the hall from the same door the boy had come through.

At the sight of Ukyo, Kabuto took a step back as he pulled out a kunai. He had to protect his master from the person he believed to be Naruto. Then he noticed the red, slit eyes. Sweat began to pour from his skin and onto the floor. Kabuto now realized that this wasn't Naruto for this…man's mere presence filled him with a sense of dread and fear unlike any he had ever felt before.

Ukyo then raised his head a little and looked right into Kabuto's eyes. The next thing that Kabuto realized was that his blood was now pouring out of his neck from a slash mark. He then saw that Naruto look-a-like appear next to him and a millisecond later he ripped off Kabuto's arm. The red eyed blond wasn't done yet as he then hit Kabuto's head with his own arm with enough force to send his head, and only his head, flying.

Kabuto dropped his kunai, fell onto his hands and knees, and held his mouth to keep from puking. _Wait, wasn't I just beheaded?_, he thought? _What powerful killing intent. It's far more powerful than Orochimaru-sama's. Just who, no, what is he?_

"Nice to meet you," said Ochi. "My name is Ochi Uchiha. What's your name?" Ukyo said nothing. Instead, the fur on his tail became spiky like it was made of needles. It then moved in front of the boy. "Is something wrong?"

"Tell me," said Ukyo slowly. "Why are you putting on this farce…Orochimaru?" Orochimaru's eyes widened a bit and then returned to normal.

"I see," said the reborn snake. Gone was his childlike voice. It was now replaced with his true voice. "So you figured it out. Very impressive. Not even Sasuke-kun has been able to figure it out."

"Not that hard," said Ukyo as he pulled his tail back. "I could sense your presence from the moment I stepped into this pit. I am surprised to see you alive, especially after I found out the Sasuke killed you."

"Yes, that was quite a shock for me as well," admitted Orochimaru. "You see, when I tried to possess Sasuke-kun, he managed to use his Sharingan to possess me instead. For a long time I was in a dark place within him. Then, one day, there was a light like the end of a tunnel. I managed to free myself and ran towards it. But when I got there, it was dark again. Then, nine months later, I was reborn. I can only assume that my Immortality Jutsu has an unexpected backup in case it fails."

"Very interesting," replied Ukyo with a nod. Kabuto just kneeled there, watching the two of them. His nerves were racked; waiting for one of the two to strike at the other. And he knew that if there was a fight, Orochimaru would lose. While his master's mind was the same, his body was not. He simply didn't have the strength or the chakra he needed.

"So," said Orochimaru. "What will you do now?"

"Nothing," replied Ukyo. "Not to you anyways. I actually respect you."

"Really?" said Orochimaru as he raised an eyebrow. "How interesting."

"It's true," said Ukyo. "Unlike my other half, I admired your strength and your cunning. Back during the chunin exam, you used and manipulated the situation to your advantage. And you share the same desires that I do. I shall destroy that weak little village and bring its people to ruin. But, in order for me to fight evenly with Naruto, I will need the power to summon as well. Sasuke has already located the scrolls we desire and has offered to escort us to them."

"So, you're going to get the kitsune scroll then," said Orochimaru. Ukyo shook his head.

"No," he replied. "I have no desire to summon anything like that baka Jiraiya."

-x-

Meanwhile…

Over in the Leaf Village, said pervert was getting back in touch with his old perverted habits. He was currently across the street from Naruto's apartment where he and his family were staying. They had tried to get a better place to stay, but everywhere else over changed them severely. Luckily for them, nobody had touched his old apartment since he 'died'. Sure, there was no furniture and cramped for a family of six, but it was better than sleeping in the streets. Also, Tsunade had managed to get them some furniture and then she left to deal with certain hotels for pissing off their allies.

Mai was sitting near the window while she breast fed the twins and Haku was taking a nap. Jiraiya stared in awe of Mai and her nice chest. He had to admit that Naruto had picked himself out a hottie. He pulled out his little notepad and began to write down notes on his 'research'. That was when tragedy struck. He sneezed.

Mai's head snapped towards the sound and stared right at the white haired nin. She then got up, put the twins to bed, and went back to the window. Once again she began to stare at Jiraiya as she began to let lose her killing intent.

-x-

"Do you feel that?" asked Ukyo as he felt a powerful killing intent.

"Kami," cried Orochimaru. "I haven't felt anything that powerful since Jiraiya was caught peeking at Tsunade at the hot springs." He stuttered for a moment and then did his best to go back to business. "W-well, if you want a powerful contract then I might know one. In Demon Country, there is a shrine which contains a single summoning contract. However, it is guarded by some of the most powerful shinobi from all of the Elemental Nations."

"Interesting," replied Ukyo with a sick grin. He then began to crack his knuckles. "I could use a warm up before I fought Naruto." Orochimaru shook his head.

"You will need more than yourself to get this," he said. "I tried to do so as well and failed." Ukyo didn't respond. He just walked right past Orochimaru and Kabuto who was just now trying to get off the floor. And then, he turned his head around to give them a feral grin.

"That was you," he said simply. "Not me."

-x-

A few days later…

Naruto let out a sigh as he jumped from tree to tree. Ever since Mai trapped Jiraiya in a genjutsu and began to beat the crap out of him for peeking on her while breast feeding the twins, things had been very annoying. The villagers were now staring at his family and thinking that he had corrupted Mai. His friends at least understood why she did it. Hell, he had to stop Tsunade from finishing the job when she found out. Still, he couldn't believe that the villagers were angry at him for his wife's normal reaction to the situation. In the end, he decided that they were just looking for anything to hate him more. He just never got a break.

Also, that Haran guy had been giving Naruto odd stares since they met. They weren't hateful, like he was used to, but they gave him an uneasy feeling. Also, Haran had approached Naruto several times wanting to talk about something. But, every time he did he seemed to back down or change his mind. Something was up and Naruto was going to find out what as soon as he got back to the village.

Right now he was traveling with Asuma and his team. Tsunade had asked him to help out the Niju Shotai in case they ran into someone from the Chika. However, it was also reported that the Chika member was with the Akatsuki. This could only mean that Ukyo and Sasuke had teamed up! The other sennin were with other groups in an attempt to even the odds in their favor. They were following a lead that said that two members of the Akatsuki were traveling along side someone whose description matched Daemon's.

Naruto looked at the group and only really knew two of them. One was Asuma, however he didn't really know him all that well other than he was the jonin in charge of Team 10 and was a chain smoker. He knew Shikamaru much better, in terms of skills and personally. Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki, on the other hand, he knew next to nothing about them. All he could do was hope that they would be smart enough to get out of there once the fighting started between him the blood sucker.

"Are we there yet?" asked Naruto.

"Not since you asked twenty minutes ago," replied Shikamaru.

"But you guys said they were close by and it wouldn't take us long to spot them," stated Naruto.

"Troublesome," muttered Shikamaru. "It'll take us as long as needed. Besides, the longer I get to be away from my wife and her brothers the better." Asuma chuckled at the statement. However, his expression changed as he saw Naruto let out another sigh.

"Let's just hurry up," said Naruto.

"Something wrong?" asked Asuma. "You've been sighing a lot since we left the village." Naruto gave Asuma a slight nod.

"Something Yuri said before we left," he replied.

**Flashback**

"Kitsune-sama, can I have a word real quick," asked Yuri as all the teams were getting ready to leave. Naruto shrugged.

"Sure," he replied. "What cha got?"

"It's something that has been bothering me since we decided to stay," replied Yuri. "My former master, the previous Tora-sennin, left one final prophecy before he died. He said that he saw an eighteen tailed comet racing towards a star. At first the star was weak and small, but as it got closer the star got bigger and began to burn with black flames. And around this black star were seventeen dead worlds which moved to block the comet which went right through them. Yet, even though it did that the planets still continued to move to block the comet, slowing it down more and more until it could no longer move. Then a hero's tear shall fall as the greatest sacrifice is made. One fire shall be blown out and a million shall take its place."

"Ah, I don't mean to be rude," began Naruto, "but couldn't he have been less vague?"

"He said he did it this way because he didn't want me to try and change the future," she replied. "The farther he looked into the future, the less likely it would happen since it is constantly changing. But anyways, I think this has something to do with us."

"How so?' asked Naruto.

"The eighteen tailed comet," said Yuri. "Your Bikoutai has a total of nine tails and Ukyo is your clone. I think you two are the eighteen tailed comet. The star might be referring to the Land of Fire."

"Maybe you're just over thinking this," said Naruto.

"But…" began Yuri.

"Besides," continued Naruto. "I don't believe in fate or destiny. The only one who controls my future is me."

**End Flashback**

"I didn't want to admit it but some of the things she said did bother me," admitted Naruto. Shikamaru's eyes widened as he looked at Naruto's face. It was full of worry and a bit of fear. He had never known Naruto to act like this. In fact, Naruto had been acting a bit differently since they had found him. Maybe it was because he had grown up differently or he had some kind of experience that had changed him.

Then, all of a sudden, Naruto stopped. Upon seeing this, all the others stopped as well and turned around to look at Naruto. He was sniffing the air; detecting a sent that only he could smell. The then took off his hat and his ears twitched. Asuma and his team watched as Naruto closed his eyes and seemed to be concentrating on something.

"You got something?" asked Asuma. Naruto opened his eyes and nodded.

"Yeah," he replied. "Blood and a lot of it." Naruto then point off to the side. "There are two sources. One is stationary while the other is on the move. I've seen this before. Daemon attacked some travelers for their blood so he can use it later." Naruto looked right into Asuma's eyes with a look that said to do what he said and not to argue no matter what. "Asuma-sensei, you take your team and check to see if there are any survivors. If not, we should at least identify the bodies and take them back to the village. After that we can notify their families. It's the least we can do for them."

"And what about you?" asked Izumo.

"I'll take care of the bastard responsible for this," said Naruto with gritted teeth. "Just make sure you don't come after me. You'll only get in the way." And with that, Naruto leapt away from the group.

"Hey, he can't give us orders like that," said Kotetsu. "Just who the hell does he think he is?"

"Troublesome," said Shikamaru.

"I agree," said Izumo. "That blond baka is so…"

"I meant you guys are troublesome," said Shikamaru. Asuma sighed while the other two men in the group gave Shikamaru a confused look. The lazy genius sighed, realizing that they needed an explanation. "Back at the Kitsune Village, Naruto single handedly took down several jonin and ANBU with no problem. Then, he and his friends attacked our village and took down our forces with ease. He has become far stronger than any of us. Yet, the Chika have been giving him trouble. He's right; we'd only be in the way."

"Let's just do what Naruto told us to do," said Asuma as he took out a cigarette and lit it. "Besides, if there were any survivors, we need to hurry." The two chunin nodded and then the four of them set off in the direction that Naruto had pointed out.

It didn't take them long to reach their destination. They could smell the blood long before they found them. It was heavy in the air like an invisible blanket that surrounded them completely. And when they reached their final destination, all they could do was gasp at the sheer carnage that had taken place. There were at least twenty people lying dead on the ground and a variety of animals. Men, women, and children; all of them were dead. Some looked like a hole had been punched right through them and others looked like mummies. No one had survived.

Yet, there was one person alive there. He stood there, standing in the middle of all the death and destruction. Over his pure yellow eyes were rectangular glasses. He had long white hair went down to his hips that and was parted in the middle. He wore a red trench coat, black shirt and pants, and fingerless gloves. At the last segment of his fingers was something that looked like a suction cups.

"Tis a pleasure that you have arrived," said the man as he gave them a slight bow. "I am Daemon Legion of the Chika. Thy truly did as was foretold by my master and have fallen into a trap most foul."

Shikamaru's eyes widened when he heard this, realizing the implications of what this stranger said. They had planned for this to happen. They allowed themselves to be spotted and attack these travelers on purpose. They then separated because they knew how Naruto would react. They knew that Naruto's first concern would be to find out if there were any survivors and it wouldn't be good to be carrying them using Kage Bunshin. A single hit from an enemy would cause them to dispel and drop whatever, or whoever, they were carrying. Better to have the people who would just get in the way see to this than help him fight. The enemies knew this and thus prepared this trap for them. Yet one thing didn't make sense; why leave a member of the Chika here for them?

Then Daemon smiled.

"Are thou having difficulty with thy master's plan? Tis one of simplicity." A moment later, all the blood that was still on the ground began to rise up slowly. It started with a drop here and there but it soon began to add up. The drops then broke apart until it became more like a mist of blood than anything else.

"Stay on your guard," said Asuma. The other three nodded and took up a guard position. "We'll wait and let him make the first move. We need to get all the information on this guy and what he can do with this blood jutsu of his." Daemon let out a chuckle which caused Asuma to raise an eyebrow. "Is something funny?"

"Just thy jest that tis a jutsu," said Daemon. "Thy have never used thou foul ninjutsu nor shall thy ever." Daemon then raised his hand up to shoulder level and then pointed right in front of him. He then seemed to make motions in front of him like he was drawing something. As he did, that path he drew seemed to glow a bright red until the image of a pentagram appeared in front of him. "Thy use magic. **Cruentus effervo!**" The blood mist then moved towards the pentagram and went behind it. Then, from the side facing Asuma and his team, a swarm of bats shot out of the pentagram right at them.

-x-

Naruto continued to jump from tree to tree as he followed the scent. There were three of them. Two he didn't recognize but he did know the third, Daemon. He was glad that the others weren't here with him right now. He had fought Daemon many times in the past and that monster just couldn't be killed. At least, not in any way that he could find. Every time Naruto had thought he had killed him, he just came back like he was a character in some horror movie. This time, he would make sure that he had finished the job.

Then, as Naruto was in between jumps, a pair of hands shot out of the ground right beneath Naruto. Naruto looked down as they grabbed his legs. They seemed to be attached to some kind of black cord or something. The hand then flung our hero towards the ground where an enemy appeared out of nowhere. Naruto noticed a few things about this new person. He had white hair that was slicked back and his forehead protector was around his neck. Naruto remembered this guy from the bridge. But the biggest thing that he noticed was the three bladed scythe that was about to be swung right at him!

A second before the white haired man could swing his weapon, the hand on Naruto's legs let go. To a normal person, there wasn't enough time to get out of that situation. However, Naruto was far from a normal person. "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**" Two clones appeared in front of Naruto who caught him and then flung him away just in time. The clone, however, were sliced by the scythe. Right before Naruto landed on the ground, he created two more clones that not only helped him land, but became his weapons as well. As Naruto landed, he used the momentum to go into a spin while he grabbed his clone that used a henge to turn themselves into giant shurikens. Naruto then threw them at his only seen opponent for his counter attack. However, a scared man with glowing (or simply seemed to glow) green eyes appeared out of the ground. The scared one hit it with his fist while the white haired one slashed it with his scythe.

"You missed Hidan," said the scared one. He spoke calmly, as if their failed ambush was nothing. "Make another mistake like that and I'll kill you."

"Shut the fuck up Kakuzu," said Hidan in a loud voice. "It's your fault that we messed up. You let go of him too soon! I was close to offering up this piece of shit to Jashin and you just wanted to fuck with me!"

"Maybe I should have just gift wrapped him for you," said Kakuzu. He then looked at Naruto. "Can't be smart or worth a lot of money. He's just standing there. Didn't even try to take advantage of the situation or run away."

"Like I need something like that," replied Naruto as he crossed his arms. "Now where is Daemon?"

"Oh, you mean that pansy ass fucker?" asked Hidan as he pulled out a piece of cloth and waved it at Naruto. "He's not here right now. If you want, I can leave a message."

"Baka," growled Kakuzu.

"But if he's not here than that mean…" began Naruto as realization hit him hard. His hands went right to the side of his head as he began to scream at the top of his lungs. "Crap! How could I have let this happen?! I should have sent a Kage Bunshin with them just in case!"

"Not that it would have helped," said Kakuzu.

"And why is that?" asked Naruto as he lowered his hands.

"Because we're immortal."

-x-

Will Asuma and his team make it out of their bloody situation?

Will the two immortals get their asses handed to by Naruto or will the Kitsune-sennin fail?

Will the next update come faster?

REVIEW!

-x-

Cruentus effervo: Bloody Swarm

-x-

Name: Mai Uzumaki

Rank: Jonin

Age: 22

Hair: black

Eye color: black

Obsessions: her husband and children

Mai Uchiha was born in Celestial the Milky Way Dynasty. While walking along the beach one day, she happened to find Naruto. She took him back to her family's home and looked after him. After he was all better, she, along with Zanku, followed him on his journey. Eventually she let him know about her growing feelings towards him. They two of them began dating and a few years later got married.

Unlike most members of the Uchiha clan, her element is water which fits her personality better than fire. Like the ocean, she can be calm one moment and then choppy the next. And when there is a storm, you better stay out of her way. Her personality might have also have been influenced by Naruto as well as she seems to now display more of his personality.

Right now, she is a mother of three. Her oldest son is Haku. She just recently gave birth to twins, Ichigo and Hikari.


	26. Chapter 26

Hello all.

How are you all been? Miss Tails of the Fox Sage? Well don't worry, it will soon be coming back! That's right, after a long delay, I will be putting all my attention back into this story. However, you will have to wait a bit. The next chapter will come out after one more chapter of Wind Lord and Lord Ravenwrath.


	27. Chapter 27

Been awhile since I updated this story. I guess it's because I really didn't want to end this. There are only five to seven chapters left so…

The last few chapters of Naruto have been, well, less than exciting. They have changed their forehead protectors and we have an idea of who is in what group and who is in charge. But Kabuto is being a real ass. I mean, Asuma was brought back to life along with Dan just to mess with people's minds. At least we don't have to worry about Gaara having issues with fighting his father. And thank God Anko is not dead. At least not yet. Kabuto better not kill her! If he does then may he rot in hell! Also, I can't wait to see what training is next for Naruto.

Let's rock!

-x-

As Naruto stared down Kakuzu and Hidan, his mind began to wander back to the beginning. Sadly, he went all the way back to when Sasuke nearly killed him at the Valley of Ends. Back when Kakashi choose to save Sasuke and allow Naruto to be swept down river and into the ocean. Yeah, that far back.

In a way, it had turned out to be a good thing. The Kyuubi had died trying to save him by merging with him. While the powerful chakra that Kyuubi gave him was gone, Naruto had gained a new power called the Bikoutai or Tail Shift. Sure he had gotten an actual tail, as well as fox ears, but the abilities he had gained allowed him to accomplish much. He had met Mai and Zanku, his future wife and best friend, respectively. It was where he found someone to become his little sister, Asahi. He had saved the Milky Way Dynasty and then changed the way things were on the entire continent.

Yet, somewhere deep inside, Naruto knew that his past would return. He didn't know how or when, but Naruto knew that the one day people would come looking for him…and they did. Kakashi and several others for the Hidden Leaf Village came to the shinobi village he had created and caused some trouble. Well, it was mainly Kakashi and the rest had been forced into it. After Naruto had beaten them to a bloody pulp he had considered detaining them with his village but them decided to let them go. That plan turned out to be a big mistake because Kakashi had kidnapped his son, Haku, and his sister.

Naturally, Naruto kicked the door down (literally) to get them back. Luckily, for both sides, Tsunade had found out and managed to get Haku. However, Asahi had been taken by the Hyuuga clan. They had planned on placing the seal on her but Naruto arrived at the last second and had beaten them all down. After that, Naruto and his allies would have left right away if Mai hadn't given birth to twins. And then again Ukyo, Naruto's evil side that had been given life by the Panda-sennin, had arrived. Oh, and emo Sasuke found out he was alive and has turned his attention towards him. He was in Naruto's top ten things to do, but barely.

Naruto was then taken out of his thoughts as Kakuzu and Hidan began their attack once more. They charged at him together. Hidan swung his scythe and Naruto did a back flip to avoid the attack. However Kakuzu appeared next to Naruto as he landed with a kunai in hand. Naruto jumped to the side to avoid it only to be attacked by Hidan this time as his scythe aimed for his neck. In one simple motion Hidan cut Naruto's head off and watched it fall to the ground.

Kakuzu narrowed his eyes as he moved over to the body while Hidan picked up the head. Kakuzu gave the body a hard kick and watched as nothing happened. _This is wrong_, he thought._ From everything that we have heard, he should have been much stronger than this. I don't like the looks of this._

"Ugly little fuck," swore Hidan as he held Naruto head in front of his own. "Bet you thought you were something. Bet you thought that we were beneath you. And look at you now you…" Hidan broke off because he smelled something odd. He began to sniff at the air. His eyes then widened as he realized what it was and threw the head away from him just before it and the body exploded. When the smoke cleared Hidan was several yards away and his hands where slightly burned. Kakuzu, on the other hand, had remained where he was and only his outfit looked like it had taken any damage.

"**Booshi Shuriken!**" yelled Naruto from some hidden spot. A half second later his hat came flying at the two rogue nins. Kakuzu bent backwards to avoid it like in a Matrix movie. Hidan, on the other hand, wasn't as lucky as the hat hit him right in the neck and sliced right through him. And as his head fell to the ground Naruto's hat curved around back to the area where it had been thrown and was then caught by Naruto who calmly placed it on his head.

"Well that's one immortal down," said Naruto calmly.

"What the fuck?" screamed Hidan, causing Naruto's eyes to widen. Hidan was just a head, cut off from the rest of his body. Yet he was still swearing his mouth off! Naruto narrowed his eyes as he watched Kakuzu launched his hand to grab Hidan's head, roughly, and then quickly sew it back onto his body.

"Now I can see why you can call yourselves immortals," said Naruto.

"Damn straight, shit head," said Hidan as he stood up while gripping his scythe. "No matter what you do to us you can't kill us. Guess you already figured that out seeing as you're too scared to make a move."

"Baka," muttered Kakuzu. Hidan's eyebrow twitched as he turned his head to glare at his partner.

"What the hell was that for?" he demanded.

"He's observing us you fool," said Kakuzu. "He's waiting to see what we can do before he makes his next move." Kakuzu then looked at Naruto. "I know all about you before you vanished Uzumaki. You are an expert at the Kage Bunshin and you are known for doing the unexpected. But it appears that time as caused you to be more cautious. You have also shown us great restraint. I am sure that, had you not left, there would have been a great bounty on your head."

"Perhaps," said Naruto with a slight grin. Then he seemed to visibly relax and shrugged his shoulders. "To tell you the truth immortality just seems like a pain. Well, for you that is. Because it just means that I don't have to hold back as much as I normally have to. See, normally I like to take people like you in alive for questioning. And there is this one scar faced man who would love to just pick at your minds for a while." Kakuzu narrowed his eyes.

"Don't think it will be that easy," he said. Naruto just smirked as a response and then seemed too flicked out of existence only to reappear in front of Hidan and deliver a flying roundhouse kick right at him midsection. Hidan, who had not braced himself, was thrown through the air only to find Naruto a few yards ahead of him. Waiting for him! As soon as Hidan came close and looked like he was about to fall to the ground, Naruto punched him in order to keep the momentum going and then again. This kept on going until Hidan flew into a large, thick tree.

Hidan hit the tree hard while making a cracking sound. Then, not even a second later, Naruto appeared in front of him and began to punch him over and over again. Each time seemed to push Hidan deeper and deeper into the tree creating a louder and louder cracking noise. Hidan had his head thrown back, mouth open as blood dripped down the corners of his lips. His eyes were widening open as well and were unseeing. Finally, Naruto brought back his fist and super charged it with chakra which he used to punch Hidan hard into his gut. The blow was so powerful that the tree split in half down the middle and Hidan was blasted right through it. The immortal flew for several yards until he landed on his back.

Naruto was about to continue his attack when he sensed something behind him. He dodged to the left, only getting nicked by Hidan's triple bladed scythe. As Naruto skidded to a stop, Hidan reached up from the ground and caught it. Slowly he got up while grinning.

"Time to pay you back for that beating," said Hidan as he licked some of Naruto's blood from his scythe. Hidan then began to draw a symbol in the ground using his scythe. From what Naruto could see it looked like a triangle inside a circle.

"About time," said Kakuzu. Naruto turned his head to see the other immortal leaning against a tree. "I was wondering how many more times I needed to help you before decided to get serious."

"Shut the fuck up," said Hidan as he completed the symbol. Suddenly his skin turned as black as night as white markings similar to bones appeared all over his body. "You know how serious I take my religion. Now don't interfere again or I'll fucking kill you!" Kakuzu seemed to just shrug. Naruto, on the other hand, returned his focus to Hidan. From what he could tell, these two didn't seem to care about the other like real partners. They seemed to barely tolerate each other at best.

"From what I can tell," said Naruto calmly as he pointed at Hidan, "you're not very fast. In fact, I've seen academy students faster than you. So either you have a hidden ace up your sleeve or you're arrogant enough to think you can defeat me by yourself."

"Actually, it's both," said Kakuzu.

"Whatever," said Hidan as he pulled out a long spike like blade from his robe. "It's time for the ceremony to begin!" With that, Hidan stabbed his own right leg. Moments later Naruto's right leg had the same wound in the same spot. Naruto gritted his teeth to deal with the pain as fought to keep standing while Hidan laughed like a lunatic.

"Ok," said Naruto through gritted teeth. "So whatever injuries you inflict on yourself happens to me as well. Well let's try this then!" Naruto then opened him mouth all the way as chakra began to spiral in front of it. Soon, a Rasengan formed between his upper and lower jaw. Then, to everyone's surprise, he swallowed it. Everyone's eyes were opened wide in shock and even more when Naruto's body expanded. He opened his mouth and yelled "**Raseniki!**" and a blast of chakra shot out of it at high speeds. It hit Hidan right in the chest and launched him several dozens of yards back, rolling around until the back of his head hit a tree causing more blood to be spattered. Naruto felt the same force on his chest as well, being sent back an equal distance. However his stop was much calmer than his opponent.

Slowly, Naruto pulled himself up only to see Hidan grinning at him like a mad man. Naruto cursed under his breath as he watched Hidan, whose skin was back to normal, get up and calmly walk back to the symbol. That's when something clicked inside Naruto's head. He only suffered the same damage from his own attack and nothing else. Slowly a sly smile appeared on Naruto's face as he watched Hidan's skin turn black again.

"What's so funny?" asked Hidan mockingly. Naruto didn't respond immediately. Instead he did several hand signs and then yelled "**Doton: Koketsu!**" Suddenly over a dozen spikes popped out of the ground in an oval shape around Hidan, but not one touched him.

"This is what's so funny," said Naruto. "You are standing in the jaws of death! All you have to do is lift one foot and the trap will be set and you will die." Hidan blinked at Naruto for a moment and then burst out laughing.

"You fucking baka!" he laughed. "Haven't you figured it out yet? Whatever happens to me will happen to you. The only difference is that I'm immortal and you're not!" Hidan, who wanted to kill Naruto with his own jutsu, lifted his bad leg. Immediately the earth on both sides snapped shut like a bear trap shaped like a foxes head. And the only difference from the previous times Naruto used this jutsu was that it was designed so that the 'teeth' would bite off Hidan's head which rolled to the ground. And when Hidan's head looked at Naruto, his eyes widened in rage. He was alright! "How?"

"Like it was that hard to figure out," said Naruto calmly as he walked over to Hidan's head. "I figured out that your jutsu is a lot like that voodoo thing. First you got my blood as an identifier so your curse would have a target. After that, you create the symbol to start it up. I can see why you don't need to be fast, you want to get hurt and close to your enemy. Even your weapons are designed so that they have a greater chance at drawing blood. However, there is a great flaw: the symbol. You need to be inside of it to work your jutsu. So all someone has to do is either more you or destroy the symbol."

"But I was still on it when you used that jutsu!" yelled Hidan.

"That's true," said Naruto. Now he was right in front of Hidan, looking down at him. Naruto reached down and picked up the foul mouth immortal by his hair and held him up so they were face to face. "But the moment you activated my trap, it moved the earth below your feet and destroyed the symbol." Hidan's eyes widened as he absorbed this information and as the foxes head began to sink back into the earth.

"You…YOU BASTARD!" screamed Hidan moments before Naruto tossed him onto the ground and turned to face Kakuzu. Kakuzu had barely moved. He seemed unfazed at what he had just seen.

"Now it's your turn," said Naruto.

"Don't think that it'll be easy like it was with Hidan," said Kakuzu. "Hidan is a fool who enjoys taking his time with his opponents. But me, I prefer not to toy with my opponent. I always fight them seriously and with the same professional attitude I used when I fought the Shodai Hokage." Naruto's eyes widened a bit after hearing that.

"Man," said Naruto. "You're old."

Kakuzu, who was only slightly irritated by that remark, leapt towards Naruto and delivered a roundhouse kick of his own. Naruto did his best to block it, but the force behind that kick was close to his own and sent Naruto skidding across the forest floor. When he stopped, Naruto launched at Kakuzu while focusing a large amount of chakra into his fist and hit him right in the chest. Only, Kakuzu didn't budge. And it was like Naruto was hitting solid steel. That was when Naruto noticed that Kakuzu's skin had turned a grayish color. Naruto tried to think for a moment, but Kakuzu smacked him on the side of his head and sent the blond sailing.

Naruto tried to land on his feet, but he was starting to get a little winded and he was injured. When he landed, Naruto began to roll and then used that same force to get back up. He stared at Kakuzu for a moment and realized that he had to be using a jutsu that greatly improved his defenses as well as offenses. Realizing this, Naruto began to concentrate the chakra in his hand and formed a Rasengan with a ring of wind around it. "**Fūton: Rasenkazaana!**" yelled Naruto as he thrust his arm foreword. The ring shot out and became a mini twister that raced toward Kakuzu at blinding speeds. He tried to dodge it but his leg got caught in it and soon the rest of him was sucked in and sent spiraling backwards. He tried to move but couldn't, the high winds made that impossible. Kakuzu couldn't use a substation jutsu or anything else to save himself, he was trapped. It wasn't long until his body crashed against a bolder and he laid there unable to move. Then, the blue sphere, which had stayed intact, was propelled by the wind going directly down the tunnel. There was then an explosion when the jutsu connected with his body.

It took a minute or two for the smoke to clear, but when it did Naruto was simply shocked at what he saw. Kakuzu was standing! His robe and shirt were gone revealing a body covered with stitches. On his back, Naruto could see five masks that seemed to be attached to the man's very skin. Kakuzu's back then began to bulge until two of the masks fell off.

"It…has been a long time since anyone has destroyed two of my hearts," said Kakuzu. "You should feel honored."

"Hearts?" said Naruto with a raised eyebrow. Kakuzu just smirked as his back began to budge once more. This time his skin seemed to rip apart revealing that under his skin were thousands of grayish threads or tentacles. They then seemed to separate from him along with the masks. There was a red mask that looked like a tiger and a blue one that looked like an eagle.

"That's right kid," said Kakuzu. "I have stayed alive this entire time by stealing the hearts of my opponents and adding them to my body. And, as an extra bonus, I get their chakra natures as well. And you should know what that means."

"Yeah," said Naruto. "It means that you can use all five elements with ease."

"Pretty smart," said Kakuzu as the eagle shot towards Naruto. It opened its mouth and Kakuzu yelled "**Fūton: Atsugai!**" sending a high pressured, tornado like mass at Naruto which destroyed nearly everything in its path. Within seconds, nearly every tree in front of Kakuzu was destroyed and blown away. Naruto, however, had managed to jump over the blast. Sadly, Kakuzu saw him and commanded his red mask to attack him. The tiger opened its mouth and he yelled, "**Katon: Zukokku!**" which sent out a small, but powerful fireball at Naruto. It hit him and exploded creating a large explosion.

Naruto fell to the ground and then slowly got back up. He was panting and starting to get tired. But he had to think about Daemon. He had to save some of his strength for him. If he didn't then he would be of no use to Shikamaru and the others. Basically, Naruto had no more time to waste and he had to finish this soon.

Meanwhile, Kakuzu was impressed by what he had seen. Naruto had taken some heavy hits and just kept getting back up. The immortal knew that if he didn't have five hearts, he would have been killed with Naruto's first attack. It was only because of that hidden fact that he was still hear and had managed to get Naruto off guard. But now he had to finish this.

Kakuzu moved his creatures so that one was in front of Naruto and the other was behind him. Both of them opened their mouths, ready to combine both jutsus together. The fire element would be strengthened several times by the wind element. And if Naruto tried to get out of the way his beasts would be on him. In short, Naruto was trapped like a fox corned by hounds. Then, Naruto yelled "**Fūton: Kaiten!**" With that, Naruto began to spin and was then surrounded by a spinning chakra dome. And all around it were thousands of small wind blades that seemed to chop up everything that got too close. And his monsters were too close! They both let out a cry of pain as they were sliced and diced by this take of the Hyuuga jutsu in a matter of seconds. And once the spinning had stopped, Naruto began to stare Kakuzu down.

Never before had Kakuzu felt so…vulnerable. He had one heart left and no one had been able to do that since the Shodai Hokage.

"I know what you're thinking," said Naruto as he took a step forward causing Kakuzu to jump a bit. "That jutsu I just used was a lot like the one that the Hyuuga clan uses. It should because I learned it along with my little sister and then improved it. I seem to have a talent for doing thing like that."

"You," said Kakuzu as he gulped. "You're a monster!" With that, Kakuzu turned, ready to run as far away from Naruto as he could. But before he could take one step, Naruto appeared in front of him with his favorite jutsu in hand. "**Rasengan!**" he yelled as he slammed it into Kakuzu's chest which sent the so called immortal flying backwards.

"A person who steals other people's hearts so he can cheat death has no right to call me a monster," said Naruto as he gazed at Kakuzu's body. He just laid there, unmoving. He was done and almost dead.

"How?' asked Kakuzu. "How could a kid like you defeat me?"

"Because you haven't really changed," said Naruto as he looked up at the sky. "The world is constantly changing. People are constantly changing. This generation is stronger than the one it replaced, just like how the one after mine will be stronger. And they will be stronger, my children and sister."

"I… see," said Kakuzu as he faded into the darkness of hell.

Naruto stood there for a moment as he stared at the body of Kakuzu. Then, he began to look for Hidan's head. He would need it to gather information. Plus, if he fought Daemon first he might forget to come back for it later.

-x-

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

Merry Christmas!

-x-

Jutsu list:

**Booshi Shuriken**: Hat Shuriken

-x-

Name: Ukyo

Rank: Leader of Chika

Age: 21

Ukyo is basically Yami Naruto. The Panda-sennin created him so that he would destroy his original. However, it has so far proved to be a long lasting stalemate between the two.

Ukyo's origins date back to when Naruto was living in the Leaf village. He is basically all the hate and anger that Naruto kept inside. He is the one who whispered words of anger to Naruto and perhaps the one who caused most of Naruto's outbursts. There was a time when the two of them nearly merged permanently, but Iruka's words kept that from happening.

Now that Ukyo is free, however, it is a different matter. He is very insane and seems to be in love with Naruto. He feels like Naruto has rejected him and wants to become one with his original, only with him on the outside. Yeah, he's sick in the head.


End file.
